ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates is seeking to verify the credentials of the Pakistani pilots and engineers employed in its airlines after the South Asian government grounded 262 pilots for holding ‘dubious’ qualifications.
Pakistan grounded pilots on June 26 on suspicion that they allegedly falsified their examinations to qualify for flying aircraft, leading to them having licenses the country’s aviation minister termed ‘dubious’.
A total of 262 of the country’s 860 pilots were affected, including 141 of national carrier Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) pilots.
The Director General of the UAE’s General Aviation Authority Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi requested the verification of the credentials of Pakistani pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and flight operations officers working in the Middle Eastern country in a June 19 letter reviewed by Reuters to the Director General of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Hassan Nasir Jamy.
‘We would like to request your good offices to verify the licensing credentials of the attached pilots list who are currently holding UAE’s pilots licenses based on licenses and qualification issued by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’, the letter said.
Pakistan’s aviation ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday suspended PIA’s authorization to fly to the bloc for six months because of the licensing concerns.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA), the union for PIA’s pilots, alleges the announcement of the ‘dubious’ license holders was a planned government move against the pilots to cut their headcount.
‘The malicious efforts of some at the helm of affairs with a mindset to cut the pilots down to size has resulted in PIA being reduced to an airline on paper’, the union said.
The PALPA rejected the government’s list of pilots with licenses seemed dubious, and pointed out that it was full of discrepancies, demanding a judicial investigation.
BREAKING NEWS | France Warns Citizens To Be Cautious As Anger Seethes In Muslim World Over Cartoons
PARIS | FRANCE – France warned its citizens living or traveling in several Muslim-majority countries to take extra security precautions on Tuesday as anger surged over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. In a sign that some countries want to limit the fallout, Saudi Arabia condemned the cartoons but held back from echoing calls by other … Continue reading BREAKING NEWS | France Warns Citizens To Be Cautious As Anger Seethes In Muslim World Over Cartoons
ROYALS | Prince Harry Says Upbringing Blinded Him To Unconscious Racial Bias
Britain’s Prince Harry said it took him years to realize that unconscious racial bias existed and his eyes had been opened by spending time in his wife Meghan’s shoes. The prince spoke during a conversation about racism with Patrick Hutchinson, the Black activist who was photographed by Reuters carrying a white man to safety during … Continue reading ROYALS | Prince Harry Says Upbringing Blinded Him To Unconscious Racial Bias
BUSINESS | Mercedes-Benz to lift Aston Martin Stake To Up to 20% By 2023
MILAN | ITALY – Daimler unit Mercedes-Benz is to lift its stake in Britain’s Aston Martin to up to 20% by 2023, making it one of the struggling British carmaker’s largest shareholders, Aston said on Tuesday. Aston Martin, popular for being James Bond’s carmaker of choice, has suffered a torrid time since it floated two … Continue reading BUSINESS | Mercedes-Benz to lift Aston Martin Stake To Up to 20% By 2023
