KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has strongly denied reports claiming that its crew members went missing or sought political asylum in Toronto, calling the news false and misleading.
In an official statement issued on social media platform X, a PIA spokesperson rejected claims circulated by what the airline described as an Afghan and Pakistan-hostile account. The viral post alleged that the entire crew of a PIA flight to Toronto had applied for political asylum, which the airline termed completely baseless.
According to the spokesperson, the misleading information is part of a deliberate and malicious campaign aimed at damaging the reputation of Pakistan’s national airline and the country’s image. PIA emphasized that there is no truth to the reports of crew members’ disappearance or asylum requests.
The airline acknowledged that in the past there have been isolated incidents involving PIA staff members in Canada. Most recently, on the 21st of last month, a report surfaced regarding a PIA flight attendant who failed to report back for duty in Canada. Following the incident, the airline initiated an internal inquiry.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan had earlier stated that a flight attendant scheduled to return on flight PK-798 from Toronto to Lahore did not report for duty and cited health issues when contacted.
He added that the matter was under investigation and that departmental action would be taken if any illegal absence was confirmed.
