ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates has sought to verify the credentials of Pakistani pilots and engineers employed in its airlines after the Pakistan government grounded dozens of pilots accusing them of cheating on their exams to get flying licenses.

In its keenness to implement the highest aviation safety standards in the UAE, the General Civil Aviation Authority has requested from Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority clarifications pertaining to the authenticity of the Pakistani issued licenses and verifications of the qualifications of their pilots who are holding Pakistani licenses, the country’s aviation authority said in a statement.

The move aims to ensure the safety of the UAE public and civil aviation are not affected and to maintain the international safety standards required for safe operations in the UAE, the GCAA added in its statement.

Furthermore, the GCAA has reviewed all its records for Pakistani issued licenses to ensure no suspicious licenses issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority have entered its system.

The statement noted that the GCAA is currently in consultation with the International Civil Aviation Organization and requested for more information in order to take further safety measures if needed. — Agencies