Shaheen Air in crisis

[dashing_man]

LAHORE: The pilot of a Shaheen Air International plane, which escaped a major disaster during an emergency landing in Lahore earlier this month, was under the influence of alcohol, a medical report has revealed.

The report also revealed that the pilot was suffering from lack of sleep at the time of the emergency landing on November 4.

The Boeing 737 with 121 people on board skidded off the runway soon after landing, about 1,000 feet short from the end into a grassy patch 70 feet west of the runway at Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIAP).

All passengers and crew on board the NL-142 Karachi to Lahore flight remained unhurt and were evacuated via emergency escape chute, but the aircraft's landing gear, windows and right wing were damaged in the landing.

According to a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), investigation into the accident has not yet been completed, however, medical reports have confirmed that the pilot was tired and had consumed alcohol before the flight.

The pilot had consumed more than the permitted amount of blood alcohol and had not rested the required hours before the flight, said the CAA spokesman.

During a recent meeting in Karachi presided by Director-General CAA Amjad Ali Toor, the aviation authority has advised all airlines to ensure their pilots are in optimal condition before flights.

He said that the DG CAA took a serious view of this incident and directed the representatives of the airlines to take all possible measures to ensure passengers' safety on a priority basis.

The CAA spokesman said that the DG CAA also emphasised that all operators need to be more vigilant to avoid such misconduct among their cockpit and cabin crew to avoid such incidents in the future.

http://www.geo.tv/article-204026-Shaheen-Air-pilot-was-drunk-during-flight-medical-report

 

[The_KING]

Thankfully me and my family don't travel on any of Pakistan's rubbish airlines.

 

[dashing_man]

Thankfully me and my family don't travel on any of Pakistan's rubbish airlines.

I traveled on this Airline when it was newly launched. It was better than PIA. Don't know what happened after that.

 

[Varun]

I wonder if they still fly 25-year old aircraft. Those coupled with a drunk guy at the wheel - brrr.

 

[kingusama92]

Have to be absurdly unprofessional and stupid to get drunk before flying a commercial flight.

Heard its quite common for pilots to do this (not just in Pakistan).

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: The Supreme Court has summoned the owner of Shaheen Air on Tuesday, August 7, after the Chief Justice of Pakistan took notice of Pakistani passengers stranded at an airport in China earlier this week.

As many as 300 Pakistanis were left stranded in the Chinese port city of Guangzhou after their Shaheen Air flight was abruptly cancelled on July 29, following a dispute over payment of arrears totalling over Rs1.5 billion between the airline and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The airline’s international operations — except Haj flights — were suspended several days ago by the CAA owing to the mounting debt.

The airline, however, was granted special permission by the CAA to bring back stranded Pakistanis from China after Geo News brought to light the plight of the stranded passengers. Many were left with nowhere to go after their visas expired, while others complained they could not afford the more expensive tickets of alternative airlines.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, heard the case at the Lahore Registry today.

The airline's regional director informed the bench that all airlines, with the exception of Saudi airlines, had been cancelled at Guangzhou airport. The official also told the court that only Shaheen Air operates flights from Lahore to Guangzhou.

Expressing his dissatisfaction at the official's response, the chief justice ordered Shaheen Air to ensure all stranded passengers are brought back to Pakistan before Monday.

The court ordered the owner of Shaheen Air to appear before it on Tuesday, August 7, and directed the CAA to make available a report on the condition of the plane sent to fetch the passengers from China.

Stranded passengers to be brought back tonight: Shaheen Air
A Shaheen Air International flight will bring back Pakistanis stranded in the Chinese city of Guangzhou on Friday, a spokesperson from the airline said.

The spokesperson said the airline's plane landed in China earlier today and will take off with the stranded Pakistanis at 10:35pm local time.

The flight will carry the stranded passengers as well as those who booked their tickets for August 3, the spokesperson said, adding that the airline has been bearing food and accommodation expenses of passengers stuck at the airport since July 29.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/205912-sh...g-back-stranded-pakistanis-from-china-delayed

 

[UN talkz]

Shaheen International Airline (SAI) has said that it will dispatch its flight on Sunday night to Guangzhou, China, to bring back scores of Pakistani passengers who have been stranded in China following the cancellation of the airline’s flight earlier on July 29.

In an announcement on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson said the objection raised by the authority with regard to the fitness of the SAI plane — scheduled to carry back home the stranded passengers — has been addressed.

“The required hosepipes have arrived from abroad and are presently in process of customs clearance and consequently will be fitted in due course enabling the carrier to fly without any sort of risk,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Besides, the CAA reminded that due to Shaheen Air’s failure to clear dues amounting to Rs1.5 billion the airline had been prohibited to utilise facilities and services offered by the authority. “However, on purely humanitarian grounds it [SAI] has been allowed to carry back the passengers who had booked their seats with SAI, prior to the imposed ban,” read the CAA statement.

On Friday, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had taken notice of reports that hundreds of Pakistanis are stranded in China because of the mismanagement of Shaheen Air, following which the CAA allowed SAI to operate a special flight to bring the passengers back home.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1425109/c...ack-passengers-from-guangzhou-on-sunday-night

 

[Abdullah719]

Flight from China carrying 200 stranded Pakistanis reaches Lahore

BEIJING: A Shaheen Air flight carrying over 200 Pakistanis, who were stranded at Guangzhou airport for over a week, reached Lahore on Monday.

The Shaheen Air flight was earlier scheduled to reach Lahore late at night.

On Sunday, Shaheen Air International decided to send its own aircraft for the rescue mission following reports that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was sending one of its airplanes to bring back the stranded countrymen.

Earlier, it was reported that Shaheen Air had sought the help of PIA to bring back the stranded passengers.

As many as 300 Pakistanis were stranded at the Chinese port city of Guangzhou after their Shaheen Air flight was abruptly cancelled on July 29, following a dispute over payment of arrears totalling over Rs1.5 billion between the airline and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The airline’s international operations — except Hajj flights — were suspended several days ago by the CAA owing to the mounting debt.

The stranded citizens faced immense difficulties amid the blame game between the CAA and Shaheen Air. A few of them also reportedly fell sick as they waited to return home.

Further, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office of Pakistan had earlier said that with the cooperation of the Pakistani consul general, 214 passengers had reached home through an alternate flight whereas 46 preferred to return via Shaheen Air's next flight.

The spokesperson added that Shaheen Air flights to Guanghzou scheduled for August 2 and 5 were also cancelled increasing the number of Pakistanis stranded at the airport.

Shaheen Air provided accommodation to these passengers at a hotel in Guangzhou, he said, where they were also provided food.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/206270-200-pakistanis-stranded-in-china-expected-to-return-tonight

 

[Varun]

^A week? Sounds like a disaster through and through for Shaheen!