Pakistan’s International Airlines (PIA) has witnessed a disturbing trend in recent years, which can be described as the mysterious disappearance of air hostesses abroad.
In the latest incident, a flight attendant named Mantazar Mehdi arrived in Tonto but did not report for duty on the next flight and many other air hostesses have been missing in various incidents.
In fact, human trafficking may be the factor behind these mysterious events. Women in particular may become victims of criminal networks involved in human trafficking, but this may also be due to economic factors.
If flight attendants in Pakistan do not get adequate salaries or are not given better facilities than other airlines in the world, our air hostesses may engage in illegal activities in search of better employment.
Inadequate security measures can also lead to the promotion of criminal activities inside the airline and at the airports, however, in this context, most of the flight attendants are missing, but the search for a better livelihood is considered to be the main reason.
There is a need for an effective mechanism of cooperation and information exchange between PIA, overseas airport authorities and law enforcement agencies to help prevent such incidents.
Better communication channels, monitoring, and investigation of suspicious activities are also important in preventing incidents of the mysterious disappearance of air hostesses. A criminal record check and screening of any air hostesses needs to be done before hiring.
