PIA mulls offloading overweight cabin crew from international flights

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) management is mulling over a proposal to offload its overweight flight attendants from international flights, ARY News reported on Saturday.

With four days remaining in the deadline set for overweight cabin crew to shed body weight, PIA Flight Service General Manager Amir Bashir sought details about all such employees.

Besides, the national flag carrier is considering offloading flight attendants with excess weight from international flights, according to sources privy to this development.

Earlier, on Jan 1, PIA in an effort to improve its performance issued a memo, directing 1,800 flight attendants to lose weight up to desired standard set by its management or face being grounded.

The PIA administration announced to gradually reduce waiver of 30 lbs (pounds) excess weight to zero lbs in upcoming months for the cabin crew.

“If any crew found above 30 lbs from the desired weight after 31st Jan, 2019, will be grounded and referred to Air Crew Medical Center for medical evaluation & treatment until weight is reduced up to desired standard/BMI,” the notification read.

The weight check of all the cabin crew will be carried out at their base stations, it added.

In a move to end political influence from the organization, PIA earlier this week issued a circular, barring employees from asserting political pressure in service related matters.

“It is being observed that some of the employees are asserting political pressure for their transfer, postings and other service related matters, which is clear violation of the code of the conduct”, the notification issued from the office of the Chief HR reads.