PIA flight attendant’s disappearances raise alarm

TORONTO: Another flight attendant belonging to the country’s national air carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) went missing on Thursday in Toronto, Canada.

The flight attendant was scheduled to return to Pakistan on a PIA flight PK-782 on Thursday. However, they failed to report for duty, raising questions about their whereabouts.

Earlier, another crew member Maryam Raza disappeared without a trace. She left behind her uniform and a note expressing gratitude to the national airline.

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The latest disappearance adds to a series of disappearances involving PIA crew members in the Canadian city. Almost twelve flight attendants have vanished under similar circumstances in recent months. This has raised serious questions about the airline’s protocols and security measures.

The PIA reported the disappearances to the Toronto police and the Border Security Force. Despite efforts to address the issue, including the depositing of crew passports to authorities, the recurrence of such incidents persists.

The pattern of disappearances involves crew members leaving the plane with colleagues but failing to board scheduled return flights. PIA spokespersons have confirmed the incidents, stating that the national air carrier was cooperating with Canadian authorities on the investigations.

These incidents add to existing issues the national air carrier faces, including financial difficulties, aircraft grounding, route cuts, and employee strikes.

The airline’s efforts to implement stricter measures, such as an age limit for flight attendants and enhanced communication protocols during layovers have done little to curb the situation.