LAHORE: In a concerning development at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, the Airport Security Force (ASF) intercepted and detained an individual masquerading as a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilot.
The impostor, identified as Ahmed, was apprehended while attempting to gain unauthorized access to the international departure lounge using falsified PIA pilot identification credentials, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the ASF.
Prompt action by the ASF personnel led to Ahmed’s immediate transfer into the custody of the Airport Police for further legal processing. Subsequently, a case has been lodged against him, with ongoing investigations aimed at unraveling the full extent of his deceptive activities and any potential security risks they may pose to aviation operations.
This incident unfolds against the backdrop of the pilots’ license scandal that shook the aviation industry, resulting in the European Aviation Agency’s imposition of a ban on all Pakistani airlines in July 2020. In response, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched an extensive investigation, uncovering a network allegedly comprising CAA employees and certain pilots involved in the illicit issuance of fake pilot licenses.
According to sources close to the investigation, the CAA’s probe has widened, with targeted raids aimed at apprehending two additional suspects linked to the scam. Investigations revealed that aviation personnel facilitated the issuance of counterfeit licenses by accepting substantial sums of money from pilots. These individuals purportedly arranged for impostors to sit in place of the actual pilots during license examinations.
With the CAA securing remand for several license branch officials and pilots implicated in the scheme, efforts to combat corruption within the aviation sector have intensified. FIRs are anticipated to be lodged against those found culpable, underscoring the authorities’ commitment to eradicating malpractice and upholding the integrity of aviation standards in Pakistan.
