ISLAMABAD- Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has rejected claims circulating on social media alleging that an entire flight crew disappeared in Toronto, calling the report false and misleading.
The airline said the claim originated from a post on X and was shared to harm the image of the national carrier and the country.
PIA Entire Crew Missing Claim Rejected
Pakistan International Airlines (PK) issued a formal statement on X denying a tweet that alleged the complete disappearance of a crew from a specific PIA flight in Toronto.
The airline described the claim as entirely baseless and stated that the purpose of the tweet was to malign PIA and Pakistan.
In its post, PIA said that the information was circulated by anti-Pakistan quarters and confirmed that no such incident had taken place. The airline emphasized that its operational records and crew accountability systems showed no irregularities related to the claim.
In a separate statement, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan also rejected the claim, stating that the misleading information was circulated by an Afghan and anti-Pakistan account.
He said the tweet was part of a well-conceived plan based on hostility towards Pakistan and aimed at damaging the reputation of the national airline and the country.
The spokesperson reiterated that the report had no factual basis and urged the public to rely on verified and official sources for information. According to Dawn, the airline maintained that such misinformation campaigns undermine public trust and distort facts.
Individual Crew Disappearances in Canada
While denying the latest claim, PIA acknowledged that individual cases involving missing crew members have been reported in the past, particularly in Canada.
The airline clarified that these incidents were isolated and unrelated to the viral claim of a full crew disappearance.
On November 21, a PIA flight attendant did not report for duty on flight PK 798 from Toronto (YYZ) to Lahore (LHE).
According to spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan, when contacted, the attendant cited ill health as the reason. He added that the matter was under investigation and that in case of illegal disappearance, departmental action would be initiated.
Last year in October, a cabin crew member based in Islamabad reportedly went missing during a layover in Toronto. In March 2024, a 47-year-old PIA steward was also reported missing in Canada.
In another incident in February 2024, a cabin crew member arrived in Toronto on flight PK 782 from Islamabad (ISB) but failed to report for the return flight PK 784 to Karachi (KHI).
Airline Stance
PIA stated that all past incidents involving individual crew members were handled through internal inquiries and in line with airline regulations.
The airline stressed that no case involved the disappearance of an entire crew and that each incident was investigated on its own merits.
The national carrier reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, operational discipline, and timely clarification of false reports.
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