LAHORE - Pakistan International Airline (PIA) is operating its flights around the world according to the rules and regulations prescribed by International Aviation Safety Standards. The flight duty timings of pilots in PIA are according to the rules and regulations, PIA spokesman said on Thursday. He said that it is noteworthy that PIA has the duty time of ten hours for single pair of crew i.e. single pilot and first officer. If the flight duty time exceed up to thirteen hours than an extra pilot travel along the flight to provide relief to the operating pilot. The flight duty time of Long Range (LR) flights is fifteen hours with double pair of pilot and crew. The pilot duty hours for long haul flights according to International Aviation Policy are eighteen hours of flight duty time. PIA spokesman said that PALPA executive committee in an effort to extract personal gains was spreading disinformation to the disadvantage of the national flag carrier and to pressurise the PIA management agree to their unjust demands outside the working agreement signed by them. Media statements made by President PALPA, Captain Sohail Baluch about pilot fatigue even in case of ill-fated Air Blue crash have been proved wrong. His contention that PIA Flight Operation Directorate and airline management was compelling pilots to fly longer than international laid down rules, thus putting passengers safety at peril, is a false statement. PIA spokesman said that the Air Navigation Rules prescribed by the CAA states that the rest hours of the pilot and crew is of twice the duration of the flight time of previous flight and not less than twelve hours. It is important to note that PIA provides rest to its pilots and crew in excess of this minimum stipulated rest. PIA provides forty-eight hours of rest to its pilots after the flight duty timing of fifteen hours and almost twenty-four hours of rest after a flight of ten hours. It is pertinent to mention here that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the prescribed flight duty time of twelve hours with one pilot and First Officer, which is being followed by the airlines operating in America and other countries. Whereas, according to Joint Aviation Requirement (JAR OPS) followed by all the airlines of Europe, the flight duty time of a single pair of crew is thirteen hours. CAA has allowed the airlines in the country to operate a flight with single pair of crew for the flight duty time of twelve hours but PIA has further relaxed the flight duty time up to ten hours. It is worth mentioning that the detail of flight duty time for PIA pilots is the part of Working Agreement 2009- 2011 has been signed by Captain Sohail Baluch as Vice President and now President of PALPA and other executive members of the association. PIA spokesman claimed that since the last seven days PALPA President Captain Sohail Baluch, VP Captain Aitazaz, General Secretary TM Rabbani and other Executive members have not only refused to operate flights at the last minute themselves but have also been pressurising other PIA pilots and First Officers to refuse even their scheduled duties. During the last seven days, 58 Captains and First Officers have refused to operate flights at the last moment which delayed 45 flights causing unnecessary discomfort to the travelling public. Some of the standby pilots have also reported sick which further complicated rescheduling of flights.