TORONTO/ISLAMABAD: The occurrences of PIA air hostesses and cabin crew members slipping have heightened against a backdrop of uncertainty prevailing over the national airline during the ongoing privatization process.
In 2022, five crew members experienced slips, and the number increased to seven in 2023 during overseas flights, with a notable concentration of incidents occurring in Canada involving PIA’s air hostesses.
Acknowledging these incidents, a PIA spokesperson confirmed that none of the slipped air hostesses had been repatriated to Pakistan.
The first recorded slip of a PIA crew member in 2024 took place in Canada, involving air hostess Faiza Mukhtar, who was assigned to PIA’s Toronto flight.
The incident came to light when Faiza Mukhtar failed to report to the staff. PIA has initiated departmental disciplinary action against her, as the national carrier possesses affidavits from air hostesses involved, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will also be contacted in this regard.
Furthermore, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) issued a travel advisory due to flight delays caused by dense fog. Flights to Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot may experience cancellations, changes, or delays owing to low visibility and the intensity of fog.
Passengers are urged to check their flight status through the call center before heading to the airport. The airline apologizes for any inconvenience caused to its valued guests.
The preceding Wednesday witnessed Lahore Airport engulfed in an unprecedented fog, creating disorder in flight schedules and operations. Strict instructions were issued to pilots, requiring them to obtain permission from Air Traffic Control (ATC) before attempting landings or take-offs.
In response to the challenging conditions, airport authorities took a crucial step by temporarily closing the runway, resulting in a halt to all flight operations. This closure had a significant impact on numerous flights, leading to multiple cancellations and substantial adjustments in schedules.
Various airlines were adversely affected by the disruption caused by the fog. Notably, Flight PK 185 bound for Sharjah was canceled, and both PIA’s PK 898 to Kuala Lumpur and Airblue’s PA 471 from Jeddah faced the same fate.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
