PIA crew’s frequent disappearances overseas raise alarm, airline under scrutiny

Crew member Noor Sher is the latest to vanish during an overseas assignment, sparking concern

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national airline of Pakistan, is grappling with the issue of staff disappearances during overseas assignments.

The latest case involves Noor Sher, a member of the 16-member flight attendant team, assigned to flight PK 781 from Pakistan to Toronto, Canada.

Sher's disappearance was noticed this week when he failed to report for his scheduled return flight.

These repeated incidents have raised serious concerns about the airline's ability to retain its staff on international assignments with at least 14 crew members, both male and female, reported to have deserted since January 2023.

Previously, in 2022, five crew members had disappeared without a trace. In the first incident of this year, air hostess Faiza Mukhtar allegedly slipped away in Canada during a layover in January.

Mukhtar, posted on flight PK 781 from Islamabad to Toronto, did not report for the return flight, leaving behind a four-year-old son.

Another recent case involved flight steward Jibran Baloch, who disappeared from his hotel room in Toronto.

Baloch was scheduled to return to Karachi on PIA flight PK 782 but failed to report for duty during the last week of February.

PIA staff discovered that he had vanished during a routine check of his room.

Earlier the same week, air hostess Maryam Raza, known as the "Thank You PIA" girl, left a note and her uniform in her hotel room before disappearing in Toronto.

Raza's disappearance followed a similar pattern, as she did not report for her return flight to Karachi. Despite measures such as collecting passports and obtaining affidavits, the airline has been unable to prevent these incidents.