US bans Pakistan International Airlines
The United States is the latest nation to ban Pakistan International Airlines flights due to the pilot license scandal.
The US banned any charter flights after more than 100 of the airline’s pilots were grounded with suspected fake pilot licenses.
The ban takes immediate effect.
Pilots allegedly paid others to take the pilot’s exam on their behalf.
The issue of bogus license is widespread across the country, and not just at the national airline.
The Pakistan aviation ministry found 260 of the country’s 860 active pilots hold bogus licences.
Last week the EU’s aviation regulator banned flights to Europe for six months.
The US took action after news broke that ‘nearly one-third of Pakistani pilots are not properly certificated in accordance with international standards.’
In April the US department of transport had granted PIA special permission to operate chartered flights for repatriation purposes but this has now been revoked.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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