Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is another case of a cabin crew member, Jibran Baloch, disappearing in Canada.
PIA’s spokesperson has confirmed flight steward Jibran Baloch failed to report for duty on PIA flight PK-782 departing from Toronto on February 29, marking him as the second cabin crew member to vanish this month.
Upon inspection of Baloch’s accommodations, evidence suggested his deliberate departure. The incident involving Jibran Baloch has been formally reported to the Toronto Police and the Border Security Force, as stated by the PIA spokesperson.
Read: PIA Air Hostess Slips Away in Canada During Duty Assignment
This event follows the recent disappearance of Maryam Raza, a female flight attendant, who left behind her uniform and a note expressing gratitude to PIA. Having served the airline for fifteen years, Raza was on the Islamabad to Toronto assignment when she went missing.
In response to these incidents, PIA has initiated the practice of holding crew members’ passports upon arrival in Toronto, aiming to curb the trend of ‘crew slip’ cases. Despite these measures, the past few months have seen approximately 12 air hostesses from the Toronto flights disappear.
In a related incident on January 24, flight attendant Faiza Mukhtar vanished after landing in Toronto on flight PK 781 from Islamabad. Like the others, Mukhtar’s disappearance raises concerns over crew members absconding on international assignments.