A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight attendant disappeared yet again after landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). This incident adds to the number of PIA flight attendants who have vanished during stopovers in Canada in recent months. 

The Incident

The crew member, Maryam Raza, was supposed to be on duty for PIA flight PK 782 from Islamabad (ISB) to Toronto (YYZ), operated with a Boeing 777-200LR. The plane departed from Islamabad at 1:08 p.m. and landed in Toronto at 11:38 a.m. local time on February 22. According to ARY News, a local Pakistani news channel, Raza vanished right after the flight landed at YYZ. As reported, her uniform was found in her room with a note that stated, "Shukria PIA" ("Thank you, PIA") in Urdu. 

Raza's duty schedule called for her to depart from Toronto on flight PK 784 to Karachi (KHI), also operated with a Boeing 777-200LR. On February 25, PK 784 left Toronto at 11:18 a.m. without Raza showing up for her operational duties. This flight landed in Karachi at 10:37 a.m. local time the next day without major issues. 

Previous Incidents

Many flight attendants with the national flag carrier have suddenly vanished in Toronto over the past few months, raising questions about the PIA's job security and wages. This incident is the second occurrence of flight attendants disappearing in 2024 alone.

Over the past six years, these incidents have included:

• 2018: Fareeha Mukhtar went missing after landing in Toronto. She is currently living in Canada. Fareeha is reportedly staying with a former air hostess identified as Mahira, who had also disappeared in Canada two years ago and is currently working at a private hotel.
• 2019: Shazia Saeed vanished after a layover in Paris by leaving the crew's hotel.
• July 2020: Yasir Ali disappeared after landing in Toronto on flight PK 781 from Islamabad.
• January 2021: Zahida Baloch and an unknown male flight attendant disappeared.
• January 2022: Waqar Ahmad Jadoon vanished after PK 781 arrived in Toronto.
• October 2022: Ejaz Shah disappeared after flight PK 781 landed in Toronto from Islamabad.
• July 2023: A PIA steward went "missing" from a hotel after he arrived in Toronto from Lahore. The disappearance of the steward, Muntazir Mehdi, became more clear after he did not report back for the operation on a flight back to Pakistan.
• October 14, 2023: Ijiaz Shah touched down in Toronto but never showed up for the flight back to Islamabad days later.
• November 2023: Khalid Afridi and Fida Shah disappeared on a flight from Islamabad to Toronto.
• December 2023: Ayaz Qureshi disappeared after landing in Toronto from Lahore.
• December 2023: Two PIA cabin crew members failed to report for their next duty after arriving in Toronto from Lahore.
• January 19, 2024: Faiza Mukhtar disappeared after PIA flight PK 781 landed in Toronto from Islamabad. He was scheduled to return to Pakistan on the following day with flight PK 784; he reportedly "did not board the flight and disappeared."

Protests and Precautions

In August 2023, PIA employees protested their working conditions, lack of pay raises, low wages, and fear of PIA's privatization plan. The airline has agreed to discuss a pay raise with employees; however, it has not made any commitments considering its privatization plan. 

The airline's spokesman, Abdullah Hafeez Khan, reported about the disappearances:

" Crews seeking asylum are common throughout South Asia and other developing countries, therefore this situation is not exclusive to PIA."

He added about the investigations: 

"Strict departmental action will be taken against those who abandon duty and they will be fired from the job. These individuals will be subject to serious legal action right away as they get back home. There is no failure 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. On the other hand, we are now seeking some legal measures against the perpetrators, involving law enforcement agencies."

Khan said the airline was "strictly monitoring the situation and keeping an eye out to make sure that our flight attendants are not engaged in any strange conduct or sending money abroad."

The measures even included collecting the passports of flight attendants assigned to Toronto flights, raising the minimum wage for flight attendants travelling to Canada should be raised, and creating an investigative unit to handle these cases.

The airline has recently faced many inconveniences and incidents, including financial challenges, governance issues, and controversies.

Syed Junaid Agha, a Karachi-based aviation expert told The Media Line:

"Allegations of misappropriation, financial corruption, and mismanagement have eroded public trust and contributed to the financial woes of the national carrier. The lack of transparency and accountability has allowed corruption to fester, adversely impacting the airline's ability to compete on the international stage." The resolution of salary issues is equally critical to restoring the confidence of the workforce and creating a foundation for sustained success in the challenging global aviation landscape. Political interference further exacerbates the crisis, with appointments and decisions often driven by political considerations rather than merit. As a result, PIA's ability to adapt to the dynamic aviation industry has been hampered, leaving it vulnerable to external pressures."