OUR aviation industry is once again in the midst of a crisis. The slashing of pilots’ salaries and a steep increase in taxation during a period of high costs means their disposable incomes have taken a huge hit. Recently, the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation was told that 15 pilots had left the country recently, owing to the decrease in their purchasing power. The director general of the Civil Aviation Authority said that “all PIA pilots want to quit”, as the pilots’ association claimed that pilots had not received a raise in seven years, and are now further burdened by high taxes.

Pilots looking for greener pastures is just one aspect of a larger problem in a country where the unrelenting economic crisis has made it very difficult for salaried individuals, amongst others, to make ends meet. As the country battles high inflation and security threats, scores of people want to leave for a better life abroad. According to one report, up to 1m people left Pakistan in 2022 — a staggering figure that reflects poorly on multiple governments that have failed to address the country’s serious economic and security challenges. Pilots in Pakistan came under intense scrutiny under the PTI government, when a senior minister claimed on the floor of the National Assembly that the licences of over 30pc of the country’s pilots were dubious. It prompted the US and Europe to ban pilots from Pakistan, and sent officials here scrambling to examine, verify and clear the licences of scores of pilots. In all of this, what is worrying is that passengers are facing more cancellations and delays as there is a shortage of aviation staff. More dangerously, pilots are forced to fly overtime, and are not able to retire to plug holes in the staff crisis. Authorities must urgently look into this issue as it has serious implications both for the safety of passengers and the well-being of the aviation staff.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2023