Another PIA crew member vanishes in Canada, third case reported this year

Dubai: Another cabin crew member of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reportedly gone missing after landing in Canada, becoming the third such disappearance reported by the airline this year.

The missing crew member, identified as senior flight attendant Asif Najam, was scheduled to operate PIA flight PK-798 from Toronto to Lahore on November 19, 2025. Najam had earlier flown into Toronto on PK-789 from Lahore on November 16.

According to PIA, Najam failed to report for duty on the return flight. When contacted by airline management, he cited ill health as the reason for his absence.

A PIA spokesperson said the case is under investigation: “Departmental action will be initiated against the flight steward in case of illegal disappearance,” the spokesman stated.

The airline confirmed it has launched a formal inquiry into the incident, noting that Najam did not board the scheduled Toronto—Lahore flight despite repeated attempts to reach him.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said: “PIA flight attendant Asif Najam did not report for duty on flight PK-798 from Toronto to Lahore. When contacted, he cited ill health as the reason. The matter is under investigation and action will be taken if he is found to have disappeared illegally.”

Najam’s case adds to the growing list of PIA crew members who have used stopovers in Canada as an opportunity to abscond, often citing economic pressures and the country’s asylum pathways as motivators.

Disappearances of PIA crew members during Canadian layovers have become increasingly frequent.

In October 2024, a cabin crew member based in Islamabad went missing during a stopover in Toronto.

In March 2024, a 47-year-old PIA steward similarly vanished in Canada.

In February 2024, another crew member who arrived in Toronto on PK-782 from Islamabad failed to report for the return flight. The trend has grown in recent years.

PIA reported that eight crew members went missing in Canada between 2022 and 2023, a surge officials linked to Canada’s comparatively liberal asylum policies. By early 2024, the total had risen to 10, including airhostess Maryam Raza and flight steward Jibran Baloch, both of whom disappeared in February 2024.