Tag: flight attendants

  • Two PIA flight attendants go missing in Canada

    Two PIA flight attendants go missing in Canada

    Two flight attendants, Khalid Meh­mood and Feda Hussain, slipped away in Canada shortly after Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 772 landed in Toronto.

    The spokesperson for PIA confirmed the ‘escape’ of the two senior flight attendants who vanished from the airport instead of coming back to the country.

    “On its scheduled return to Islamabad, the two senior crew members did not turn up in Toronto. The flight of the national flag carrier had to return back to Islamabad without the two flight attendants,” the spokesperson told the Dawn.

    Similar incidents have been reported in the past when members of the flight crew sneaked away upon arrival in Canada. Four of them have slipped away in 2023.

    According to ARY News, PIA has now issued a directive to include flight attendants aged above 50 years among crew members of international flights to Canada and other countries. This age limit is imposed in light of instances of young air hostesses and cabin crew slipping away upon arrival.

    Local authorities in Canada have been informed about the two staff members and their services would be terminated after a departmental investigation.

  • PIA prohibits pilots and cabin crew from fasting during Ramzan

    PIA prohibits pilots and cabin crew from fasting during Ramzan

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has prohibited its pilots and cabin staff members from fasting during the holy month of Ramzan.

    As per a recent safety notice released by the national flag carrier, fasting is one of the key factors behind diminished human performance.

    The decision is part of the PIA’s in-flight safety measures, which were recently announced by Aamir Bashir, the PIA’s General Manager (GM) of Flight Services.

    In order to meet the physical and psychological demands of flying, a healthy diet is crucial for pilots. Human errors that result in plane crashes can be minimized by focusing on nutrition due to its strong connection with flying performance.

    On-duty pilots and flying crew members should consider several aspects such as tiredness, performance degradation, and refrain from fasting throughout Ramadan, keeping in view the safety of the innocent lives (passengers and other staff).

    In addition to this, the administration has also allowed pilots and cabin crew members to apply for leave who do not wish to give up fasting during the month of Ramadan.

    Read more: Man hacks airline’s website after he lost his baggage

    Lastly, it also noted that non-compliance with the directive could result in the suspension or cancellation of the flying crew’s licenses.

  • PIA pilot, flight attendants, who brought 200 Pakistanis back from Australia, get coronavirus

    PIA pilot, flight attendants, who brought 200 Pakistanis back from Australia, get coronavirus

    One pilot and three flight attendants of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), who had performed duties on a special flight from Melbourne to Lahore, have tested positive for the new coronavirus — COVID-19.

    As per the details, the national carrier last month ran a one-off flight from Melbourne to Lahore to help hundreds of Pakistanis return home from Australia.

    With the country having blocked all international commercial flights since mid-March — a ban that’s now set to continue for an indefinite period of time — many of the country’s residents have struggled to find a path back to their homeland, making government repatriation flights a necessity.

    A PIA Boeing 777-200LR first flew from Lahore to Melbourne on Friday, April 24. PK8962 departed Pakistan at 5 pm local time, reaching Melbourne the next day at 10:30 am after a journey of 12 hours and 30 minutes.

    Allowing time for the crew to rest before the return leg, the Melbourne-Lahore flight, PK8972, departed at 1 pm on April 26, reaching the provincial capital of Punjab at 9 pm the same day, 13 hours after wheels-up.

    PIA’s Boeing 777-200LR jets can normally accommodate up to 310 passengers, but this repatriation service from Melbourne was capped at 250 passengers.

    Over a week on, reports say that three crew members of the special flight have tested positive for coronavirus.

    The crew members of PIA were earlier awaiting their COVID-19 test results and have now been shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Lahore. Among them are flight attendants Waqar Farooqui, Sofia Shaikh and Ahmed Ammad as well as first officer Shakil Akram.