'Thank you PIA': Pakistan airlines air hostess mysteriously vanishes after flying to Canada, leaves note
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cabin crew member, identified as Maryam Raza, flew to Canada on Tuesday but mysteriously went missing after her arrival, according to a report by Pakistani news agency Dawn.
FollowA Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cabin crew member, identified as Maryam Raza, flew to Canada on Tuesday but mysteriously went missing after her arrival, according to a report by Pakistani news agency Dawn. Raza arrived in Toronto on PIA flight PK-782 from Islamabad on Monday. However, she did not report for duty on the return flight, PK-784 bound for Karachi. It's worth noting that Raza is among several PIA staff members who have reportedly "vanished" in Canada in recent years.
Dawn reported that Raza had been with the national flag carrier for 15 years. She was scheduled for duty on the Islamabad to Toronto flight on Monday. However, upon landing in Canada on Tuesday, she failed to report for her return flight to Karachi the following day. When authorities began searching for Raza, they discovered her PIA uniform and a note in her hotel room that read "Thank You, PIA".
According to an airline spokesperson, the disappearance of Raza marks the second such incident this year where a PIA stewardess vanished upon arrival in Canada. Just last month, another PIA flight crew member, Fazia Mukhtar, similarly went missing. Reports indicate that Ms. Mukhtar was scheduled to return to Karachi a day after arriving in Canada but failed to board the flight and disappeared.
Officials attribute this concerning trend to the lenient nature of Canadian law, which allows for asylum applications post-entry into the country. The report highlights that the trend of Pakistani flight attendants disappearing after landing in Canada began in 2019. Last year alone, at least seven PIA cabin crew members went missing in Canada while on duty.
In November, Dawn reported that two senior flight attendants disappeared in Canada shortly after a PIA flight from Islamabad landed in Toronto. The flight attendants, identified as Khalid Mehmood and Feda Hussain, arrived in Canada from Islamabad on PIA flight PK772. Upon reaching Toronto, they absconded instead of returning to their home country, according to a spokesman for PIA.
The airline's spokesman mentioned that one of the crew members who had vanished while on duty some years ago has since settled in Canada and now offers advice to other crew members considering asylum. He further stated that PIA management has been collaborating with Canadian authorities to prevent such incidents in the future.
