A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilot reportedly left the flight deck to invite a young Chinese woman to join him in the cockpit, South Punjab News reported.
Captain Shahzad Aziz reportedly invited the Chinese passenger to the cockpit during a flight from Tokyo to Beijing earlier this week.
A video of the incident has gone viral. The woman allegedly stayed inside the cockpit for over two hours, coming out only after the plane landed
When contacted, PIA spokesperson Daniyal Gilani said, “We are looking into the matter. The crew is still in Beijing and we are trying to contact them.” He further said, “A passenger going to the cockpit doesn’t jeopardise the safety of the aircraft.”
Under Civil Aviation Rules, 1994, a person who “has the permission of the pilot-in-command” may enter the cockpit, he further added.
The latest incident comes on the heels of a case when a senior PIA pilot was found sleeping in the passenger compartment soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London. The pilot reportedly took a two-and-a-half-hour nap while an under-training pilot handled the aircraft.
