After the landing of a Pakistan International Airlines scheduled flight from Lahore to Toronto, another flight attendant disappeared without a trace. He did not show up for the return flight, so it is suspected that he fled.
This is not the first incident of this kind, as two other PIA flight attendants fled in Canada just four weeks ago. It is assumed that they fled this way from Pakistan to the North American country. This is an illegal entry that the Canadian authorities will not tolerate in this form.
Many states grant crews of commercial aircraft, but also of ships, numerous exceptions when entering the country. Lawmakers assume the crews will only stay overnight and then return to duty and fly out of the country at the next opportunity. It happens again and again that pilots and/or flight attendants use the opportunity to escape. This phenomenon was particularly well known during the times of the Iron Curtain, as GDR Interflug crew members occasionally went missing during flights to “non-socialist countries”.
According to local media reports, the Pakistan International Airlines flight attendant was initially not suspicious. He is said to have failed to show up for the return flight to Islamabad. Both the captain and the airline were no longer able to reach him. Given the fact that Pakistani cast members repeatedly leave the country “this way,” it is not assumed that anything has happened to the steward. The plane then flew back from Canada without this flight attendant.
Pakistan International is well aware that it often happens that crew members use their service to escape abroad. Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that PIA declined to comment on the recent incident in Canada when contacted. In any case, the local police authority confirmed that a crew member from a foreign airline did not show up for duty and that they are looking for him.
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