Ramadan is considered a blessed month for every Muslim. Fasting during this holy month is a significant part of Islam. Despite this, Pakistan’s national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), does not want its pilots and cabin crew to observe fast during flight duty. Pakistan International Airlines has issued formal orders for this. This order has been issued based on the recommendation of the corporate security management and the crew medical center, who have stated that fasting during flights can pose risks. However, it is believed that the main reason behind this decision is the Karachi plane crash in 2020, for which the pilot’s negligence due to fasting was considered a major factor.
Tragic Karachi Incident: PIA Flight Crash Due to Pilot Error Raises Questions on Fasting During Duty
Let’s first understand what the Karachi incident was. On May 22, 2020, a PIA aircraft, flight number 8303, coming from Lahore was landing at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi around 2:45 PM. During this time, due to the pilot’s wrong judgment, the aircraft crashed into residential areas near the airport. In this incident, apart from two passengers, a total of 97 people were killed.
The investigation report of the incident came last month. A team of Pakistan’s Aircraft Investigation Board was investigating this incident, and its report came out last month. In this report, the investigation team termed human error as the cause of the accident. The team also wrote in the report that it is not clear from the rules of PIA and the Civil Aviation Authority whether the pilot should observe fast during duty or not.
PIA Bans Fasting During Flights: Safety Concerns Spark Controversy Among Staff
Now, this recommendation has been made. After receiving these recommendations, the corporate security management and the crew medical center have recommended not to allow fasting during flights. It has been stated in this recommendation that a person fasting may suffer from dehydration, which can lead to laziness and sleepiness. Due to this, the probability of human error increases.
PIA has now issued orders. After receiving these recommendations, PIA management has also become active. Orders have been issued to pilots and crew not to observe fast. They have been instructed not to fast during international and domestic flights. Opposition has started within the PIA staff regarding this order, and it is being termed as religiously controversial.