Pak airline asks pilots, crew to not keep Ramzan fast on duty days.

The corporate safety management and aircrew medical centre endorsed the decision advising PIA’s pilots and cabin crew members against fasting while on duty.The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), in its recent directive, asked its pilots and flight attendants to refrain from fasting during on-flight duty days throughout the holy month of Ramzan. The decision is based on medical advice which suggests that fasting could lead to dehydration, lethargy, and sleep-related issues for individuals. The corporate safety management and aircrew medical centre have endorsed this recommendation, advising PIA’s pilots and cabin crew members against fasting while on duty.“The PIA’s top management, based on these recommendations, has issued compliance orders to the pilots and cabin crew personnel with immediate effect… The recommendations have specifically stated that when a person is fasting, he faces dehydration and issues of laziness and sleep,” an official of the airline has said.A probe conducted by the aircraft investigation board, which recently concluded its investigation into the crash of a PIA Airbus flight near Karachi airport attributed the incident to human errors.The board identified the lack of sound judgment by the two pilots during the landing as the primary cause of the tragic crash, resulting in the loss of 101 lives, including 99 passengers onboard the flight. Remarkably, two passengers survived the ordeal. The report also attributed responsibility to the PIA and the civil aviation authority for lacking clear protocols regarding whether pilots should fast during Ramadan while on duty. In its directives, PIA management clarified that any pilot or crew member observing a fast would be prohibited from boarding the flight.