Licenses of 28 pilots suspended for using forged means 

KARACHI: Taking a strong exception of an ARY News report about pilots availing airline transport license through forged means, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Friday, has suspended licenses of over 28 pilots and served them show-cause notices.

The letter, a copy of which was acquired by ARY News, lists pilots from different airlines and reads that “the pilots used illegal means and deliberately presented forged record of the examination, in order to avail the Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL).”

Pilots whose names are in the list have been served show-caused notices and have been asked to surrender their air transport licenses with the CAA. They have also been barred from flying with immediate effect.

The pilots have been asked to explain as to why a disciplinary action should not be taken against them.

Last week, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had dismissed four captains among 50 officials from service over holding fake degrees.

ARY News had aired a report about the issue a few days back.

The national flag carrier on the direction of the apex court took action against the employees holding fake degrees and sacked 50 officials, including four pilots and cabin crew.

CAA report about verification of pilots’ degrees

A CAA report, on December 28, had revealed that at least five pilots of PIA do not even hold a matriculation certificate.

A Supreme Court bench heard a case pertaining to fake degrees of PIA pilots under the stewardship of Chief Justice Main Saqib Nisar at the Lahore registry of the apex court.

The CAA submitted a report to the court, which highlighted that degrees of seven pilots were found to be bogus, while five pilots had not even passed matriculation examination.