The UN asks its staff not fly Pakistani airlines.

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5 years ago

The United Nations (UN) is advising its staff not to travel on Pakistani airlines due to concerns about pilots with fake flight licenses.

In an advisory to staff picked up this weekend by ‘The News’ newspaper, UN security officials recommend “caution in the use of Pakistani-registered air operators.”

Over the past decade, some 450 passengers and crew have died in four air crashes in Pakistan, three of them due to human error, raising doubts about the pilots’ skills, Notimérica reported,

In response to Sunday’s reports, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was assessing the situation and working on a solution.

The UN advisory applies to more than a dozen Pakistani airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines, Air Eagle, Air Indus, Air Blue, Aircraft Sales and Services, Askari Aviation, Hawk Adventure Air, Hybrid Aviation, IAMC Airline, Meezab Aviation, Rayyan Air, Serene Air, Star Air Aviation and Vision Air International.

In June, Pakistani authorities had asked airlines to ground more than 150 pilots over suspicions about their “dubious” qualifications and licenses. Following the announcement, PIA was banned from flying to European Union states for six months.

The decision came after an Airbus A320 operated by Pakistan International Airlines crashed in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi in May in an incident that claimed the lives of 97 passengers and crew.