Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced tighter regulations for flight attendants heading to Canada and European countries. This decision comes in response to recent incidents where staff members went missing upon reaching these destinations.
To address this issue, PIA has now established an age limit for air hostesses and flight stewards traveling to Canada and Europe. Specific procedures have been outlined for including attendants above the age of 50 in flight rosters for these regions.
The catalyst for these measures was an incident on November 10, where two stewards assigned to a flight from Islamabad to Canada disappeared upon arrival in Toronto. This prompted PIA to take steps to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
The objective is to minimize the risk of older flight attendants seeking better job opportunities in these regions. PIA plans to enforce stricter monitoring and communication protocols to keep track of the whereabouts of its flight attendants, especially those traveling to Canada and Europe.
This might involve more frequent check-ins and enhanced communication channels to ensure accountability during assignments. According to a PIA spokesperson, the two missing flight attendants, Khalid Afridi and Fida Shah, reached Canada from Islamabad on flight PK-772. They did not return on the scheduled flight, prompting PIA to proceed without them.
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The airline has contacted the Canadian authorities, and strict action will be taken against the missing crew members after the investigation is completed. Notably, several air hostesses and male cabin crew members from the national airline have reportedly gone missing abroad.