New Delhi: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) incurred a substantial penalty after one of its air hostesses reached Canada without a valid passport, as reported by ARY News.
A spokesperson for PIA confirmed the imposition of a USD 250 fine for the incident, emphasising the gravity of the violation.
However, the spokesperson refuted claims suggesting the air hostess had intentions to seek political asylum upon arrival in Canada.
Jibran Baloch, a flight steward, was expected to return for duty on PIA flight PK-782 in Toronto on February 29, but failed to show up for work on the return flight to Pakistan.
The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association of Pakistan (AOOA) has recently released a white paper blaming the aviation industry’s setbacks on a lack of professionalism resulting in pilot license issues. This resulted in the European Union imposing a ban on Pakistani airlines’ operations in their territories. The AOOA has also demanded that the PIA administration should take concrete measures to address the problem of missing air staff and ensure the safety of airline personnel.
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