The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) confirmed on June 28 that it has licensed a total of 27 Pakistani pilots to work in Vietnam, but only 12 of them are currently flying for local airlines.

Pilots are working in the cockpit (Photo: VNA) 

Of the 27 licensed pilots, Vietnam Airlines has employed six, Vietjet Air 17 and Jetstar Pacific 4.

However, 15 Pakistani pilots have either completed the labour contract or returned to their home country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The remaining 12 pilots are working for both Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific, with the former employing 11, the CAAV revealed.

It also confirmed at present, there are no Pakistani pilots working for the national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, and the newly-established Bamboo Airways.

Earlier, all members of the Vietnam Airlines Group (Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO) said they have not employed Pakistani pilots to conduct flights in the recent past.  

The CAAV asked local airlines to temporarily suspend all Pakistani pilots over the alleged ‘fake’ license scandal in their country.  

The Authority explained that it has licensed these pilots to work in Vietnam in accordance with Vietnamese regulations and international practice specified in Annex 1 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

None of the pilots are involved in a flight incident or flight safety threat while flying for Vietnamese airlines, the CAAV noted.

It said it is working closely with the Pakistani authorities to review the entire records of these Pakistani pilots.

According to the CAAV, 1,223 foreign pilots are working in Vietnam, with Vietnam Airlines employing 309, Jetstar Pacific 145, Vietjet Air 622, and Bamboo Airways 147.