ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Sunday rejected the news of its pilots contracting coronavirus infection after a flight from Britain and has suspended its operations from Karachi.
In an official statement on Sunday, the national carrier clarified its abidance to quarantine rules: “The PIA is strictly abiding by the instructions issued by the Government of Pakistan,” its spokesperson Abdullah Khan said.
“The instructions include measures related to disinfecting the airplane as well as the crew’s health and safety,” Khan added, noting that the federal government’s instructions were being followed at all airports in the country.
The spokesperson said that reports about its airplane crew contracting coronavirus were misleading.
The Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA), an organisation to protect the rights of the national carrier’s pilots, has advised pilots not to fly planes. The association has stressed that the lives of pilots and aircrew were at risk if they flew to countries hit by the pandemic. The move has put the recent flight plan for Pakistanis stranded abroad in danger.
