Pakistan International Airlines has taken a senior pilot off-duty for allegedly sleeping on a London-bound flight, risking the lives of over 300 passengers on board by handing over the aircraft to a trainee.
Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on April 26 soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, the Dawn reported.
The airline was initially reluctant to take action against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), but later caved in to “pressure from above”.
PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said that Hashmi was off from flying duty due to the investigation under way, but refused to share any further details.