Two more PIA crew members test positive for COVID-19

LAHORE: Two more Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the tally of total infected crew members from a Toronto flight to five.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has confirmed that all five crew members of the PIA, who returned from Toronto through a PIA flight, have tested positive for the COVID-19. Earlier, two pilots and a female flight attendant had also tested positive for it. 

Yasmin Rashid said that the COVID-19 tests of two PIA pilots and three other members of the crew on a flight that recently flew back from Canada were carried out. She further said that two pilots have contracted the virus and have been shifted to a private hospital in Lahore for treatment.

It is worth mentioning here that PIA’s crew members had been stranded in Canada for a few days and were unable to fly back to Pakistan amidst the suspension of global airspace due to COVID-19 outbreak. They were later brought back via a special flight operated from Pakistan for Canada.

On Sunday, Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA) had banned pilots from operating special flights after coronavirus related SOPs were ignored.

A statement released by PALPA stated, “It has come to our notice that on recently operated “humanitarian flights” safety has been compromised and COVID-19 related SOPs have been ignored”.

“The safety and health of our crew members has always been and remains our utmost priority. PALPA will in no circumstances compromise on the safety of its members,” it added.