Aircraft at Noi Bai international airport (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) hassuspended nearly 20 Pakistanipilots working for Vietnamese airlines after Pakistan discovered 262 localpilots using fake licenses.
CAAV Director Dinh Viet Thang said all the pilots are Pakistani and have licenses issued by Pakistan.
The administrations iswaiting for the review results fromthe Pakistani aviation authorities to determine if the pilots have used fake licenses, Thang said, adding that the suspension will be removed if Vietnamese aviationauthorities' review proves their licenses and qualifications are legal.
Meanwhile, the Vietnam Airlines Group, including Vietnam Airlines,Jetstar Pacific and Vasco, have also announced that foreign pilots working forthem arenot Pakistani nationals or use licenses granted by Pakistan.
Currently, Vietnam Airlines and Vasco's staff consists of 850 Vietnamese pilotsand 106 foreign pilots. The percentage of pilots who are Vietnamese accountsfor nearly 90 percent of the total. Meanwhile, Jetstar Pacific's staffcurrently groups 60 Vietnamese pilots and 145 foreign pilots.
Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The had earlier requested the CAAV to suspendall Pakistani pilots and foreign pilots using Pakistan-issued certificates toreview their licences.
The also asked the CAAV to review the qualifications of allforeign pilots working for Vietnamese airlines and address suspected cases offraud.
The administration must report to the Transport Ministry beforeJuly 31.
Previously, on June 26, Pakistani Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar announcedthat the country's civil aviation agency had decided to ground 262 pilotssuspected of cheating to get licenses after an investigation that caused aglobal concern.
Theinvestigation decision came after a preliminary report on a plane crash inKarachi last month said pilots had failed to comply with standard flight rulesand ignored the warnings./.
VNA
