PIA chairman vows to take legal action against pilots

ISLAMABAD:Nasser Jaffer, chairman of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on Saturday said over a dozen pilots who have refused to operate the flights on the pretext of illness would face legal action.
Vowing to resolve the dispute with Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (PALPA), he said the management was trying its best that Hajj operations are not affected due to the crisis, which according to a PIA spokesman has not created any problem for more than 95 percent operations of the airline.
The PIA chairman said the protesting pilots had demanded 100 percent increase in their salaries. Nasser Jaffer also seemed at a loss to understand what he said the mistake on part of the management which has led PALPA to go on protest.
“Civil Aviation Authority too has passed the buck to us,” said he. A PIA spokesman said: “only four flights out of total 110 were cancelled on Saturday (today)”.
Earlier, Prime Minister’s advisor on aviation Shujat Azeem chaired a meeting to hold dialogue between PIA management and PALPA but the latter decided to boycott the rendezvous.
The dispute began when the PIA management reportedly suspended two pilots, prompting PALPA to go on unannounced strike.
INP/AH/SB