Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Friday rejected media reports claiming that its fleet of aircraft is faulty.

“It defies common sense that pilots and engineers would fly an aircraft that does not meet safety standards, and risk their own lives,” a PIA statement said, referring to speculations that the national flag carrier was operating with faulty aircraft.

Danyal Gillani, a spokesperson for the national flag carrier, said that the ATR was perfectly safe for flying. “It is useful and economical on short haul flights in both hot and cold weather conditions,” he said. Several of these aircraft are being operated by airlines in India and Europe, he added.

Engine trouble is initially believed responsible for Wednesday’s deadly plane crash, but many questions remain, including about the airworthiness of the ATR-42 aircraft, stirring new worries about the safety record of the Pakistan International Airlines.

A PIA flight PK-661 carrying 48 passengers and crew crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral on Wednesday. The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed there were no survivors from the ill-fated flight.

Popular singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed also died in the crash.

Speaking to a private TV channel, Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA) Captain Khalid Hamza said that flying a faulty plane was incredibly difficult for any pilot. “They should not be blamed for such incidents,” he said, adding spare parts for PIA aircraft are never readily available. However, Hamza said the aforementioned problem is not limited to PIA only.