Islamabad, Mar 31 (IANS): Khaqan Murtaza, Director General (DG) of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), told a Senate panel that all pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) wanted to leave the flag carrier.

Explaining the reason for this to the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation, the DG said around 35 per cent tax was deducted from the salaries of the pilots, reports The Express Tribune.

He added that in addition to that, there was a tax imposed on flying hours of pilots too.

"Most of the times you hear about flight cancellations, the reason for this is the shortage of pilots," he said.

Senator Mohsin Aziz, a member of the panel, inquired that the PIA would ever turn profitable in their lifetimes.

PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Amir Hayat replied that the national carrier was making operational profit, The Express Tribune reported.

Senator Aziz told him to inform the panel about the overall profit of the airline, and not just that of its operational.

The PIA CEO then switched to the subject of pilots' licences.

He said there were 141 pilots with questionable licences, adding that 69 of them had been cleared.

The DG told the panel that action was being taken against those who had acquired fake licences as well as those who assisted them.

He continued that the issue was blown out of proportion when former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had claimed on the floor of the National Assembly that 40 per cent of the PIA pilots had dubious licences, The Express Tribune reported.