PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

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Abbas Ali
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PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by Abbas Ali »

In today's (July 24) newspaper, Pakistan Air Line Pilots' Association (PALPA) - palpa.org.pk - appeal to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against PIA management plan to hire pilots on contract beyond the age of sixty.

PIA Pilots to Ensure "Safer Flying"

PIA management is planning to hire pilots on contract beyond the age of sixty, flouting all the rules and regulations of the airline/the Government of Pakistan/ruling of the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan.

PIA management is also planning to make pilots resign/take early retirement from their permanent jobs and rehire them on contract by initially paying exorbitant salary packages, whereas the normal salaries and allowances are frequently not disbursed on time.

Hiring on contract means that pilots will be compelled to follow only the management instructions with complete disregard to flight standards, as economics will take precedence over standards. Being a commercial pilot is a high risk job because of which stringent medical standards and fatigue management regulations of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have to be adhered to. Frequent penalties imposed on private carriers by CAA and two of their air crashes in the recent past are also a testament to the compromise of flight safety. Hiring on contract will be a huge burden on the ailing airline and also on the national exchequer on which the airline is dependent.

Pakistan Air Line Pilots' Association (PALPA) with its motto of "Safer Flying" has been an advocate of safety ever since its inception. Being an affiliate of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) with over 98,000 pilot members in over 100 countries, which has also been advocating during their flight safety seminars worldwide against the hiring of pilots on contract due to compromises on flight safety, PALPA strongly appeals to the honourable Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that this unilateral, whimsical and counter-productive scheme of the PIA management should be minutely scrutinised by the concerned authorities.

We request the honourable Prime Minister and honourable Chief Justice of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to personally intervene in this urgent matter of public safety by addressing the issue which will jeopardise safety of millions of passengers travelling by the national flag carrier.

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Re: PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by CoyBoy »

Are they not aware PM buddy Shujaat Azeem is running PIA behind the scenes.
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Re: PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by Abbas Ali »

PIA response in today's (July 25) newspaper.

Safety is Supreme

Safety of the aircraft and person on board of any aircraft is the supreme consideration for Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC). PIAC maintains the highest standards of flight safety. PIAC has a Safety and Quality Assurance Department headed by a very senior serving captain. It is ensured at different levels of PIAC that the crew members conducting any flight maintain the highest quality safety standards and strictly comply with internal and external requirements of Flight Safety, including IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS).

The rest and duty period of the pilot is regulated by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and PIAC and PCAA both keep a close eye to ensure that the crew members are properly rested and are not fatigued. The medical fitness of each pilot, whether on contract or a permanent employee, is certified every six months by the medical board of PCAA.

Pakistan Air Line Pilots' Association (PALPA) has attempted to cause disinformation in the general public by making misleading statements in the item which appeared in a section of press yesterday.

Any pilot whether on contract or otherwise is bound by the regulations of PCAA regarding maintenance of safety standards. The shortage of experienced pilots in PIAC is attributable to PALPA. PALPA facilitates pilots of PIAC to proceed on self-secondment/leave without pay. The pilots who proceed on leave without pay work for other commercial carriers. PALPA receives handsome amount every month from such pilots towards membership fee and other contributions. It also earns 100/- US dollars per month from each of such pilots over and above the aforementioned accounts.

PIAC has always and will always comply with all the applicable rules and regulations.

Safety has always been the supreme consideration for the airline and there can be no compromise on safety whether aircraft is operated by a contractual or a permanent employee of PIAC.

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Re: PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by Abbas Ali »

PALPA is considering to go on strike against hiring of pilots on contract in PIA.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3 ... n-contract

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Amaad Lone
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Re: PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by Amaad Lone »

A couple of years ago the retirement age for pilots around the world was extended from 60 to I think 65.

I think PIA decided to keep the pilots till 60 then re hire after 60 on contract till 62.

If a captain in fit to fly at 60 then no reason to retire him and keep him on annual contract depending on his health.

I think its bad of PALPA to force PIA not to hire pilots on contract.
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Re: PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by Abbas Ali »

BTW, has PIA begun hiring pilots on contract?

Is the airline going to give advertisements in newspapers for hiring pilots (captains/first officers) on contract? Advertisement with requirement details like experience, type rating etc?

I think PIA as government-owned organisation cannot hire people on contract without giving advertisements in newspapers.

Can former pilots of other Pakistani airlines like Air Indus, Shaheen Air and airblue also join PIA on contract?

Can pilots below the age of sixty also apply?

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Re: PALPA Appeal in Newspaper Against Hiring of Pilots on Contract Beyond the Age of Sixty in PIA

Post by Abbas Ali »

Chairman PIA in media briefing today said the airline will also hire pilots on contract for ATR and Airbus A320 aircraft.

BTW, according to information posted on September 15, 2015, on PALPA website: "No PALPA member will operate any scheduled flight (without any training) with a contract pilot".

http://palpa.org.pk/flash/no-palpa-memb ... ract-pilot

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