pakistan international airlines

Yet another flight attendant has vanished after landing in Toronto

Another Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight attendant has gone missing following the arrival of the national flag carrier's flight at Toronto Pearson International Airport, adding to the growing list of the airline's staff that have vanished in Canada over the past several months. 

PIA flight steward, Maryam Raza, was part of the flight crew recently travelling to Toronto from Islamabad International Airport on Flight PK 782. 

According to Pakistani news channel, ARY News, Raza vanished shortly after the flight landed at Pearson Airport. Her uniform was reportedly found in her room with a note that read, "Shukria PIA," which translates to, "Thank you, PIA." 

Raza was scheduled to depart Toronto on flight PK 784 to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, but failed to show up for her duties, forcing the flight to return to Pakistan without her. 

Multiple flight attendants with the national flag carrier have mysteriously vanished upon landing in Toronto over the past few months, bringing into question the airline's job security and wages for crew members. 

Another flight attendant, Faiza Mukhtar, disappeared after PIA flight PK 781 landed at Pearson Airport from Islamabad on Jan. 19. 

Mukhtar, who was scheduled to return to Pakistan the following day on flight PK 784, reportedly "did not board the flight and disappeared," PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan previously told The Media Line

Throughout 2023, at least half a dozen of the airline's flight crew disappeared upon landing in Canada. In late December, two PIA cabin crew members failed to report for their next flight after arriving in Toronto from Lahore, Khan confirmed. 

Just a few weeks before, flight attendant Ayaz Qureshi vanished after travelling from Lahore to Toronto, forcing the flight of the national flag carrier to return to Islamabad without him. 

In November, flight attendants Khalid Afridi and Fida Hussain Shah also disappeared after arriving in Toronto, a PIA spokesperson confirmed at the time. 

"There is no failure [on the part of the airline] as we have tried to put in the most stringent possible efforts to curtail that. However, the laws of Canada are so liberal that those measures become counter-effective," Khan previously told The Media Line

"On the other hand, we are now seeking some legal measures against the perpetrators, involving law enforcement agencies." 

While some have correlated the disappearances with fear of the airline's privatization and low salaries, Khan explained that the carrier has attempted to prevent these incidents by raising the minimum age for flight attendants travelling to Canada and setting up an investigative unit to handle these cases. 

Khan also noted that "crews seeking asylum are common throughout South Asia and other developing countries, therefore this situation is not exclusive to PIA."

According to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, foreign nationals need not obtain a temporary resident visa if they seek to enter and remain in Canada as a flight crew member.

Lead photo by

VisualArtStudio/Shutterstock


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