PIA cabin crew to take mandatory alcohol test before boarding flights

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has announced Thursday to make the alcohol breath test compulsory for its cabin crew in line with European Union’s Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) program, ARY News reported.

According to the notification issued today to this effect, the tests will be mandatory starting Feb 14 and those from the crew who refuse will be considered alcohol positive, Manager Flight confirmed the development.

Separately to happen earlier this week, PIA management laid down a set of instructions for its cabin crew in the wake of the disappearance of two flight attendants in Canada.

READ: PIA issues SOPs for crew after flight attendants’ disappearance in Canada

According to SOPs issued by Aamir Bashir, general manager of the airline’s flight services, cabin crew are required to deposit their passports with a station manager after immigration and customs formalities. They will be returned passports at the time of check-in on departing flights.

Apart from this, the staff of a hotel where they will stay will ensure every cabin crew member checks in at the hotel and will report immediately if they find anyone missing.

The cabin crew have been further instructed to restrict their movement due to the pandemic and no one will be allowed to stay out of the hotel premises at night.