Pakistan International Airlines Sacks One Third (150) Of Their Pilots Holding Fake Licenses After Crash Investigation Revelations

Pakistan International (PIA) announced that the airline has suspended one third of it's pilots as irregularities were found with their flight licenses which were found to be complete fakes or at least suspicious.

The revelation came after an investigation into the PIA crash in Karachi, Pakistan last month which killed 98 people and that was determined to be pilot error.

An investigation into the pilots records was then expanded to the entire crew pool and revealed widespread irregularities with bogus licenses that couldn't be validated.

CBS and other media reported that the carrier has suspended at least 150 pilots.

Pakistan International Airlines said Thursday it had grounded almost a third of its pilots for holding fake or dubious licences, a month after one of its planes crashed into houses killing 98 people. The move comes after the government released a preliminary report into the May 22 crash in Karachi.

Investigators largely blamed the two pilots, who ignored flight protocols and had been discussing the coronavirus outbreak when they first attempted to land the Airbus A320.

PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan told AFP that a government probe last year had found about 150 of its 434 pilots were carrying "either bogus or suspicious licences".

" We have decided to ground those 150 pilots with bogus licences with immediate effect, " he said.

Details of the government probe were made public Wednesday when Pakistan's aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told parliament the review found more than 260 of the country's 860 active pilots had fake licenses or had cheated on exams.

State-owned PIA said it has requested additional details from the Civil Aviation Authority so "further action may be taken against those who have become severe potential hazards."

PIA, Pakistan's flag carrier, currently has a fleet of 31 planes and employs around 14,500 staff.

Last month's crash saw the plane come down in a crowded residential area near Karachi airport, killing 97 people on board and a child on the ground.

The preliminary report outlined the flight's chaotic final minutes and a bizarre series of errors compounded by communication failures with air traffic control. ...