LONDON: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been downgraded to a one-star from six-star airline by AirlineRatings.com after the recent revelation of 150 fake pilot licences.
The European Union (EU) has now banned the airline from Europe — costing one-star, while AirlineRatings.com has stripped the airline of its three-stars for the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) as well as the one-star for the ICAO country audit.
The rating downgrade to the lowest safety standards could further dent PIA’s business because customers will avoid travelling through it while other countries may close their airports for Pakistan’s national carrier.
AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said, “Clearly there needs to be an investigation into possible bribery and falsifying related to the pilot licences. This is deeply disturbing as the IOSA audit and ICAO country audit should pick this up.”
In a statement, IATA said, “We are following reports from Pakistan regarding fake pilot licences, which are concerning and represent a serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator. We are trying to obtain more information on the matter.”
PIA has sacked 150 pilots over cheating on their exams in the wake of the Karachi crash of an A320 that killed 98 people in May.
The sacking comes in the wake of the statement by the country’s Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan that 262 out of 860 Pakistani pilots had “fake” licences through bribing other qualified pilots to take the exams.
There should be fined and locked up for risking the lives of the passengers. And there plans should be inspector and there air hosts should need to be trained there should show some respect for all there passengers.
It was one of the best airline in the world and it is..No doubt ,no-one is ever perfect in its imperfections but they shouldn’t have downgraded.”Once a hero is always a hero”.Time will change