PIA fined after air hostess reaches Canada without passport

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) was slapped with heavy fine after its air hostess reached Canada without a passport, ARY News reported on Sunday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the air hostess was assigned to duty on flight PK-781 from Islamabad to Toronto when the unprecedented incident unfolded.

The air hostess traveled from Islamabad to Toronto relying solely on PIA General Declaration documents, avoiding the standard passport requirement.

Following the breach, the national carrier was slapped with a hefty fine for allowing flight attendants to arrive in Canada without proper documentation.

In a statement, the PIA spokesperson confirmed that the carrier has been fined $250 for the incident, underscoring the seriousness of the violation. However, it denied reports suggesting that the air hostess intended to seek political asylum upon landing in Canada.

It is pertinent to mention here that more than 10 PIA air hostesses have gone missing in Canada over the past two years, raising concerns about the welfare and safety of airline staff operating on international routes.

Earlier on March 1, another PIA cabin crew member went missing in Canada, the national airline spokesman confirmed.

Read More: ‘Shukria PIA’: Another flight steward goes ‘missing’ in Canada

A flight steward named Jibran Baloch was supposed to come back to PIA flight PK-782 in Toronto on February 29, however he did not turn up for work on the flight back to Pakistan.

A few days ago, a female air hostess named Maryam Raza also went missing from the hotel. Upon searching her hotel room, the authorities discovered her uniform along with a message “Thank you, PIA.”