KARACHI: The pilot of a Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) plane who let a Chinese woman into the cockpit during flight has been suspended, the airline’s chief executive officer said in a briefing to a special committee of the Senate on the performance of the PIA. Another pilot, Captain Amir Hashmi, who got into hot water for reportedly sleeping during a flight, has also been suspended.

Captain Shahzad Aziz had invited a young Chinese woman during PIA flight PK-853 from Tokyo to Beijing early this month into the cockpit, according to a Geo News correspondent flying on the same plane.

PIA pilot endangers lives, invites unauthorised woman into cockpit

The woman, who was not authorised into the cabin area, stayed inside the cockpit with the pilot and first officer for over two hours, coming out only after the plane landed.

Geo News correspondent Irfan Siddiqui recorded the video of the incident with his mobile phone, after which the news was reported on May 9.

PIA authorities also accepted that Captain Shahzad has been a controversial figure, and has cases against him pertaining to sexual harassment and violation of rules. He also has a fake degree case against him.

On the occasion, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sherry Rehman said that PIA is trying to protect Captain Shahzad.

The PIA chief executive told the committee presided over by Mushahid Hussain Syed that investigation into the Hashmi incident is under way and the pilot has been served a show cause notice.

He said that there are contradictory reports as to how long he slept during the flight.