EXCLUSIVE: A “FAKE” PILOT FROM PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES SPEAKS OUT
MATTHEW KLINT JUNE 29, 2020
35 COMMENTS
After revelations surfaced that as many as 262 of the 860 commercial pilots in Pakistan are not really certified to fly, I wrote
an op-ed calling for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to be blacklisted until a full investigation was completed. A PIA pilot whose credentials are now being questioned reached out to me to provide his perspective on why the picture being presented to the public is incomplete. This PIA “fake” pilot makes a compelling point.
PIA Pilot: I’m On The Fake Pilot List And Horrified
The pilot has asked to remain anonymous for the time being, though I have verified his identity as a PIA first officer. He reached out me after learning his name was on the suspect list and then finding my article about it online. Primary among his concerns is that the public has not been made aware of the specifics of what are being alleged.
This is not a matter of “fake” pilots taking to the skies. Rather, it is a matter of certification for captain.
In Pakistan, there are three levels of pilots:
- Private Pilot License (PPL) – for personal use; allows you fly an aircraft without charging any money
- Commercial Pilot License (CPL) – for anyone who wants to become a pilot by profession. This allows you to get paid, and fly any aircraft as a first officer (co-pilot) or fly any aircraft as a captain provided the aircraft’s weight is less than 5700 kilograms
- Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) – the highest category of license that a pilot obtains; a requirement to fly any aircraft which weights more than 5700 kilograms as a captain.
Many nations divide pilots into these three classifications, though precise definitions and requirements vary by country. To obtain each license a minimum number of flight hours and written exams are required.
An Issue Of Timing
The PIA pilot explained that many pilots now find their credentials being questioned over an issue of timing.
The pilot is a first officer who holds a CPL, not an ATPL. He explained that he took the first of his eight ATPL written exams on the same day he operated a flight. This triggered an automatic red flag and makes him one of the 262 suspects.
PIA Fake Pilot License? I Never Claimed To Have It!
He’s a first officer on a Boeing 777. He has not completed his ATPL yet because, as he put it, he does not need to. Now he is accused of having a fake license he has never held or purported to hold.
So in short, one suspect is a trained pilot with both his PPL and CPL and now stands accused of faking his ATPL, a license he has never claimed to have. Others are simply being accused of faking exams because they flew on the same day they took the exam, something that is demonstrably possible.
CONCLUSION
This “counterpoint” does not bury the issue, especially since several pilots at PIA have allegedly already come forward and admitted to holding fake credentials. But it does appear that there is more to the story and some pilots have been falsely accused.
I asked him why he reached out to me and quite candidly, he said:
I’m just a blogger who loves writing about air travel, but his story sounds plausible to me and I am happy to share it here. As the situation develops, I hope he can go on the record and share more insight concerning what is going on at PIA.
