28 pilots with dubious licences dismissed from service

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the removal of 28 commercial pilots whose licences had already been proven dubious after an inquiry, ARY News reported.

According to a declaration, the decision came during the cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair in Islamabad.

The cabinet meeting decided to initiate criminal proceedings against the pilots. However, disciplinary action is being taken against few other pilots.

The government has expedited the reform process in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), read the declaration.

The cabinet meeting also gave nod to recent hike in the fuel prices.

Read More: Licences of 160 pilots from PIA, Airblue and SereneAir declared ‘suspicious’

Earlier on June 27, the Aviation Division had declared licences of 160 pilots from national flag-carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Airblue and SereneAir ‘suspicious’ and had orderded the management of the airlines to immediate ground the aviates.

The aviation authority had issued directives to the management of the airlines to immediate ground the pilots who were possessing suspicious licences. The suspicious pilots include 141 from PIA, nine from Airblue and 10 from SereneAir.

The report regarding the suspected licences had been prepared by the fact-finding committee of the Aviation Division which aimed to check and verify the genuineness of the pilot licences on the basis of IT forensic analysis of records.