KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is operating an Airbus-320, obtained from a Czech company on wet lease, on regular and scheduled routes allegedly with untrained cabin crew, creating an air safety hazard, it has been learnt through reliable sources.

To use the untrained crew, the national flag carrier invoked a provision in the relevant law called “safety minimum” which allows a lesser number of crew to operate an aircraft but rarely and in an emergency or because of an unforeseen situation, according to the sources.

When contacted, PIA spokesperson said the airline had obtained permission from the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, for the purpose.

The CAA spokesperson avoided offering any comment.

The PIA cabin crew’s representatives said that the untrained crew must be under stress while on broad, a situation tantamount to an air safety hazard.

PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar said that the maximum number of crew required for A-320 with a capacity of 189 passengers was six but it could be operated with four crew members under the “safety minimum” provision of the law.

He said two trained crew members, who had come with the aircraft from the Czech Republic, were always on the flights with their two counterparts from the PIA and that fulfilled the mandatory requirement of four crew members.

Two other crew members, who otherwise were trained but not on this kind of aircraft, were sent on the flights to offer services like serving food and making announcements and they did not participate in any other activity, he said. They are getting on-job training.

PIA at present has 40 trained crew members for the aircraft.

Besides, he said, the CAA and the company which owned the aircraft, had allowed the PIA to fly it with four trained crew members as such air safety was not being compromised.

But Pakistan Airlines Cabin Crew Association president Nasrullah Afridi said that under the “safety minimum” provision, the aircraft could be operated by four-member crew but only in rare cases or emergency situations and it should not be made a routine practice.

He said the airline should not operate regular scheduled flights with less than required number of crew.

He said the untrained crew while performing duties must be feeling stress and operating flights with stressed crew was an air safety hazard and should be avoided.

When contacted, CAA spokesperson Abid Kaimkhani said he would offer any comment after collecting information but failed to do so.