Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA), during the inspection of two aircraft of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), has reportedly found grave safety violations; it was learnt here on Friday. According to sources, management of PIACL, was said to be showing negligence on safety standards that led roasting of national flag carrier by international authorities. Sources said that SAFA while conducting inspection of two PIACL aircraft (BJ-77-240LR & PK-734) had detected serious violations of safety standards.
In the BJ-77-240LR, the Canadian authorities observed in a snap safety check that life jackets at seats 70H and 47H were missing which they considered as serious safety lapse on part of the airline. Besides, the cargo compartment on same aircraft was not correctly secured and restrained in all directions. "Two vertical strap latches were not connected in several locations. [hence] cargo offloaded. Door handle lever's access panels not flush," stated the inspection report.
Similarly, SAFA Inspection report of PK-734 on December 8th revealed that two different versions of Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) were on board: one dated June 15, 2015 and the other dated December 15, 2014 which is a gross negligence. "The management should not ignore its safety side and ensure strict check and balance on safety and other maintenance measures of its fleet. This would not bode well for the airline to constantly have negative feedback and reports from international authorities," the report said. It further stated that such kind of negative feedback from international safety regulatory authorities would have a negative impact on the privatisation process of the national airline. PIACL spokesman could not be reached for his comments.