What a shame????

Many ex PIA pilots and management have successfully served PIA for over 30 yeras without any degree. So this should be a non issue

When the accountability of those will start who hired these pilots? This shouls start immediately to avoid any further demage.

I'm just speechless, I don't know whether I should cry or be happy and salute those 5 middle-pass pilots who have been successfully (so far) flying aircrafts without any presumably untoward incident.

Best to close this airline and send all staff home.

Scaaarry!

Just needs to confirm when they were recruited: Definitely in the past ten years.

This is absolutely insane........

How were they recruited, probably they are worker of a political party paid money to get recruited.

Question is who gave licence for flying. If they don't have matric. Qualification that authority should be charged also PIA GM employment be charged.

This is an epic. I hope they are not blind.

It is really shocking. While interviewing, the interviewers didnt check their credentials?

PIA before hiring, did not check their educational qualifications? The management should also be held responsible.

What !!!!??? Matriculation fail and flying aeroplane ,

This is a major crime to put on risk the passengers lives, must be dealt with iron hands...

Good job in pakistan nonmatric can fly PIA from this world N think how clever are pakistani people )

"The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revealed before a Supreme Court bench on Friday that academic credentials of seven pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had been found to be bogus and five of them had not even done matric."

This a very serious matter! The safetyof people has been compromised due to political appointment of inept crew!

Let PIA be run by professionals and not by political appointees!

@MG, Well said. Will save Pakistan from further misery and humiliation.

I am wondering, how a metric pass or even a Phd be a better pilot? it is a skill just like driving a car or a bus. Other jurisdictions may not have such educational qualifications, all they care about is flying experience (flying hours).

OMG how can play with the life of people. This is a disgrace.

A pilot practically has great scientific & technical capabilities and knowledge. A Wing Commander in PAF once told me flying a plane is easy while riding a 3 wheeler Rickshaw is scary. The above report depicts about height of nepotism & favoritism in PIA. Probably the pilots though non matric were successful flyers and had learn flying at flying schools. But now certainly they won’t be allowed to fly.

That’s really funny.

....and we still keep funding this rotten institution with borrowed money!

@Nuh, Are you one of those pilots!

Who made them pilots?

People can elect uneducated politicians.... why not an air driver?

@Nuh, It is technical job. You will need to learn multiple meters and measurement systems and use them effectively. These thinks need technical educational background.

@Nuh, would you apply the same logic to a doctor? Piloting needs both knowledge and skill.

@Nuh,

Really!!!!!

@Nuh,

There is lot of technical know how is required for pilot. Ask why Pakistani Air Force choose best talent for Pilot job. You just see a how dashboard of Modern plane looks like. It is high paid job. There is reason for that.

@Nuh,

It isn't like driving a car. It's a bit more complicated. You need some basic education and then specific training and education.

@Nuh, the most stupid comment of the century

If you are uneducated, you will not be able to fully understand the sophisticated systems in the modern day aircraft. This is important in emergencies when all your background knowledge is required. The mess and accidents on the roads by drivers is mainly because most of bought the licenses without being able to read the Highway Code . In case if the initial selection criteria required certain educational qualification, anyone inducted without that qualification Should not be retained.

@Nuh, no wonder flight towers in US could not understand English spoken by some of Pakistani pilots.

@MG, Why close the airline, why not clean house, and start the hiring process, starting with an inelligent, well educated, experienced management team,but this time, the right way, no sifarish, no family, no friends, only qualified personal based on the airlines (Real) guidelines and standards.

@windofchange, Because travelling in an airplane is a matter of life and death.

@Nuh, its a skill that comes AFTER you finish secondary school at least, a pilot school does not except anyone below year 12. Issue is qualifications, not time spent flying.

@windofchange, That's a heck of a question, and I'm lost for words, maybe that's why we need real people, real solution, no more falling for fake promises, fake speeches, fake degrees, which leads to fake accounts and lost revenue.

@Nuh, are you kidding us ? To become a pilot you need a bachelor's degree in aircraft operations, aviation, aeronautical engineering, or a related field. In addition, you will complete up to two months of ground training and need more than 1,500 hours of flight experience.

498 pilots to fly 26 planes. No wonder PIA is sinking.

@Nuh, what about the ability to read operation manuals and even instruments?

This verification should have done in the beginning, now they have enough flying experience, PIA should continue to use their services. Finally the experience matters.

Fired them all who lied about their education and hire new employee with proper education.

Throw them out. Reduce man power. Make it viable. Poor

No wonder why there is no professionalism in the cockpit. Frequent swearing and unprofessional language used there towards junior staff.

@Nuh, ...education is needed for pilot to read and comprehend instructions, technology, basic medical and disaster management techniques etc

This what we have done with our country with no shame on our rulers. Example to be set by putting the responsible for hiring un-qualified staff behind the bars.

Lot of quack doctors out there too. and don't forget the Balochistan minister who said that 'degree is a degree whether real or fake'. The rot goes far beyond PIA.

@Nuh, When things divert from normal in a flight or airplane systems, you need a some basic knowledge of physics and engineering, aeronautics, hydraulics etc to figure out a workaround. There are some complexities that may come up with figuring our your position, that needs a lot more thinking and math than a bus driver needs.

@windofchange, ..politicians don't run govt, highly competent beaureocrats do

But how they got the employment?

@Nuh, but basic knowledge of English must be requirement

If they belong to PPP then I guess it is okay.

@Ex PIA ,

"Many ex PIA pilots and management have successfully served PIA for over 30 yeras without any degree"

The success is obvious in the misery of current status.

@windofchange, Airdriver wow nailed it as uneducated people will call it

Many self made billionaires don't even have a high school diploma. If you can fly a plane with no high school diploma this for itself make you smart.

I rather be with someone who know how to fly.

@Nuh, metric or matric - a pilot MUST know the difference. A Mars lander went way off, and crashed, because they used imperial system when they should have used metric!!!

Five pilots not even completed metric. Does it mean anyone can be a pilot if he finishes his metric exam?

Just sums up today’s Pakistan.

@Nuh, I think you are a bit wrong here. Flying plane is not equal to driving a car or bus bcz you must have the knowledge of mathematics physics and off course a sound knowledge of English. Aeroplane just don’t have clutch gear and brakes but more than 300 different knobs and panels for different usage like maintaining cabin pressure, altitude, latitude etc.

Result of NEPOTISM. The real culprits are those who hired them.

498 pilots for only 32 aircrafts, when 6 of those 32 are already grounded? This has to be worst aircraft to pilot ratio in the world. No wonder PIA is suffering such huge losses.

The corruption of past govrrnments is unforgivable. Such dangerous level of safarish.

@Nuh, What a point. When an illiterate can ride a bullock cart why not an airplane?

They must be fired from jobs immediately and recovery done by seizing their assets.

@Ex PIA , yes and look how this middle pass management has led PIA into this present abyss. How anyone with a conscience can defend such people is beyond me.

We know this is PIA that stands for mismanagement, deep rooted corruption, nepotism, unprofessionalism and playing with the lives of innocent passengers. This corrupt airline PIA should have been banned long ago for their history of being criminally negligent. But in Pakistan under matric bogus and fake PIA pilots are still shamelessly and mercilessly committing a serious crime and deliberately putting the lives of innocent passengers at grave risk.

hence proved education is not must for air drivers called pilots

@Ex PIA , and should not be issue in future

They just walked in for interview and were recruited,never asked for their academic qualifications,What an irony?

Probably they were the party members of PMLN or PPP. Everyone knows how people are recruited in CAA and PIA.

@Ex PIA ,

Yes, it is an issue as the people without proper degrees are most probably came on board as a result of a corrupt Process. The reason i am saying this is because PIA has always had a very strict Educational Backgroud requirement as far as Advertisements are concerned. Secondly, look at the condition of PIA, its pathetic !

In the words of my beloved leader democracy is the best revenge

@Ex PIA , thats why PIA is in this state. Wake up , of course it a major issue.

Make them sit for CPL exam again and see if they pass it.

Although a pilot is like a driver but communication skills and command over English is must. To their credit they are not involved in any accidents over the years is surprising.

Well I am not going to travel by PIA again unless and until this matter is sorted to my satisfaction. I cannot believe that the PIA had been lying to the passengers.

Flying an airplane is not like driving a car. You can not just one day sit in a pilot’s seat and learn on your own by seeing other people doing it. I hope the case here is more like they were on payroll as pilots just receiving pay and benefits without actually doing any work like the other 50 to 70 % in any pakistani government’s institution.

26 operational planes and 498 pilots seems a bit excessive.

The moral of the story is; piloting an aircraft is not a big task any layman can do it with a bit training.

That is why the PIA is running in losses .

I will never ever travel PIA.... Never ever.

Grandmother of all corruptions - where peoples life at risk is not a important.

@Ex PIA , Yes, Very successfully. look at where the airline is now. Its a collective lack of effort that has brought it to this stage.

@Nuh, I am speechless by your logic!

I am shocked to read that PIA have 498 Pilots to fly a fleet of 60 planes, half of which are not air worthy.

What a mind-boggling, grave and soul-searching tragedy?

The whole system is corrupt. One cannot survive with such a repugnant system. Politicians have made each and every department corrupt consequently a common man has become a corrupt.

It seems that the person who interviewed these pilots was also of same level!

@Ex PIA , this is exact what is wrong with the moral compass of many Pakistanis, it’s seems to be acceptable to lie about qualifications, they don’t care that this devalues the degrees of those who acquired their degrees legally and through hard graft and not to mention the damage it does to Pakistan’s reputation abroad. Any criminal caught using fake qualifications should be shamed and named and given long prison sentences.

@Real Assamese, this isn’t about matriculation, it’s about lying about one’s qualifications to get a job. Would you like to be operated on by a fake doctor with a fake degree? Or fly on a plane designed by a fake engineer with a fake degree? I hope not.

whats new, previous government took money to give these frauds jobs at the expense of the safety of passengers.

@Ex PIA , you are not realizing that an aeroplane is a very complicated machine. The safety of passengers is Supreme.

@Ex PIA , well said.

@Ex PIA , I am amazed at your ‘innocence’. Please take into account the cumulative losses that run into billions of rupees. Maybe the so-called ex pilots and management have successfully served their personal interests successfully.

OMG, this is so embarassing. I was thinking, these unqualified pilots record should be checked. They may have peformed better than those pilotscwho are qualified. Just out of curiousity. Considering the quality and standard of education that exists, does it really matter?

@Ex PIA , are you one of them?

The results of PPP/PML-N era mass recruitments!All this thuggery has to stop!

@Ex PIA , 'Successfully?', Are you sure?

Are the commercial airline pilots not required to have finished certain number of flying hours before flying a passenger aircraft?

The gifts of PPP and PMLN to the nation, corruption in all institutions.

@Ex PIA , thats why PIA is what it is today ! Shame

@Miqbalrangoonwala, Its not called clever but cheats and dishonest Pakistanis

Please don’t let these culprits go Scott free. Throw them in jail for long terms along with the people that hired them in the first place:

@Ex PIA , How did they get the jobs without a degree? If these guys submitted fake degrees or certificates then they should be prosecuted.

@Taimur, Agree Timur! Those who recommended them for appointment are to be brought before the court.

Being a commercial pilot is not exactly flying a fighter jet but more of a glorified 'bus driver'! A degree is not a prerequisite to be a pilot!

@Liaquat, I think all critical departments need to re examined specially the maintainance dept.

@Nuh,
Agreed! However, any job, secured by fraud and cheating the eligibility criteria must stand terminated. This is a universal principle practiced every where in the world.

How did they clear the pilot's license theory tests if they were not able to clear matric level exams? This is not whether they had a degree which is a higher qualification. So the examining body which is I assume the Pakistan civil aviation authority since they are pilots of the national flag carrier should be investigated. In fact this means that even the qualifications of the examiners of Pakistan CAA have to be checked. Lives are at stake here.

Any airline that hires a pilot who doesn't have at least a bachelor's degree is not worth flying with.

Pilots should be able to read, calculate and communicate with other flying aircrafts, traffic control, read and understand manuals etc.

Bhutto started the era of nepotism and sifarishy hiring in PIA. Hence the steady decline of PIA to date.

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, What a cruel and mind boggling joke, isn't it ?

Good job PIA management particularly Human Resources. This can not happen any where else in the world. We can do, others can't do. Shame PIA.......

Competence is ability to do a job.If they have made it in the question now should be whether they can do their assigned job well and whether they can prove their competence.The next task should be to tighten controls to ensure prospective entrants meet the entrance requirements.

So what if they are well trained and doing well in their profession. What counts is the skill not the degrees. this must be checked when they were inducted. or find out the person who is involved in illegitimate hiring. or hiring without seeing their originals.

I m not sure if general certificate of education is mandatory but if they have commercial pilot license then there should not be an issue as that is mandatory

Only at Pakistan, if you do not pass matric you can be pilot else you can buy degree and be whatever you want.

wow ...what a news....

@Zak, your comments seem as if present government is non corrupt!!! Wait for few more days and corpses well start emerging.

@Ex PIA , Why it shouldn't be issue...would you let unqualified doctor operate on you ?

What a shame ? Even not passed matric

@MG, in a private organization you wouldn't see this type of corruption. It is time to sell this "hand out" which is nothing but Welfare.

@Rj, May be air force too have high school croup outs too.

@Pravin, By this (mere matriculation) yardstick more than half of Pakistan's politicians and parliamentarians, will be disqualified but the management that hired them could be blind or functionally illiterate. BTW there are people from your country who cannot spell the word "apple" but we beat you by far wide margin in this competition.

PHD degree holders are unemployed while Matric fail are flying planes........

Now I know the meaning of BA pass, Metric fail my grandma used to say.

So what if career didn't take off? The flights certainly did..!!

PIA has lost me as a customer...never ever will fly them...what a sham....

@Ex PIA , Non Issue? do you know what it takes to fly a jetliner ? you might have been uneducated as an EX PIA employee, but it wasn't like this at all back in the day, it only started when PPP and PML-N came into power.

@Meghna, What interviews? Safarish all the way, interviewer had little notes saying who to hire.

Come on! So what? If these metric degree less pilots are flying planes safely and delivering passengers safely to their destination. One does not learn to fly planes in the 10th grade school, but in air plane flying school. In their cases, the flying school diploma is more critical that the metric degree.

Fake degree of ministers, fake credentials for the PIA pilots, fake votes for the people, PML-N and PPP have been busy the last 10 years.

If PIA employs some unqualified personnel as air craft maintanance technicians, what will happen ? Never ever fly PIA again...

@Ex PIA , very true.

There will be more.

Nothing beats on the job training

Investigators and Judges should scritinize corporate governance frameworks at PIA and hold senior management fully responsible for blatant breaches that exposed the airlines to financial, operational and reputational risks. Start with top 3 to 5 HR management layers, assess their credentials, entry in PIA, responsibilities, roles and deliveries.

Wonder how long they've been up in the air for. If they've been flying for a while they've already got enough experience which, past the initial stages of one's career, would matter more than any classroom education. Still, how did they get past that initial stage?! Experience matters but they would need some sort of degree to get their foot in the door.

@Ex PIA , no wonder most people at PIA never deserved these jobs. Many at all levels were injected under political influence. Such people should be penalized, stripped of remuneration and retirement benefits to set example for pilfering public sector orgs. No mercy.

@Taimur, start with PIA HR. Simple.

@Neeraj, corruption at PIA starts with HR. I bet if you reviewed their top 5 senior HR management levels over last 30 years, you will find how non qualified people with no or irrelevant experience were slowly injected , then promoted, to drive vested interests seamlessly , always serving political intent. This is real easy to solve.

Are these people hired not to land the plane??

@Ex PIA , hence the current state PIA is in...underperformed, non-profitable, mis-managed and with the highest turn over ratio...should I keep going...

We as a nation are ashamed of such people who have no guilt to take such positions and put risk to the lives of 100's and 1000's of people. They must be removed from the positions and should be given heavy fines as well.

Every one is cursing those five non-matric pilots and asking to throw them on the ground. From the angle of safety and high tech requirements the demand is genuine.But it is not clear whether they did fly the planes or only drew pilots salary as son-inlaw of influential persons.If they did fly they must be given managerial jobs in public or private sector companies. They have extra abilities of managing things with courage.