Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said on Saturday that a New York-bound flight had been delayed by nearly 14 hours after the pilot had reported sick.
He said the flight had been delayed due to a shortage of pilots. Tajwar said the issue had been amicably resolved. He said some officials had incorrectly related the issue to nonpayment of allowances as the Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA) had raised the issue separately.
Tajwar said the association had demanded that the dues to be paid in one go. He said the management had offered to clear the dues in three installments over three weeks.
A PIA official speaking on the condition of anonymity said the pilots of flight PK 711 to New York had refused to fly the aircraft from Allama Iqbal International Airport due to the failure of the management to clear outstanding allowances. He said the flight, originally scheduled to depart at 6.15am on Saturday, was delayed by nearly 14 hours and departed at 8:04pm. The flight was going to New York via Manchester. He said PALPA had asked the management to immediately clear Rs80 million dues.
The official said the pilots had refused to fly the aircraft as the management had not fulfilled the demand.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2014.
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@AVMPolpot: AI = Allah Infrormed.
PIA is a corrupt organization. I was a Procurement Specialist for it and know everything. Mismanagement led to the shortage of pilots. Also shortage for planes and spares.
The issue is between Pilots and PIA, why should passengers suffer. The Pilots Assn would have given notice of absence in advance, so that the public would have made alternative arrangements. Who will pay compensation for the trouble the passengers faced.
Sir, Pilots of PIA are not asking for any raise in salary or allowances. They are asking for there hard earned money which is not paid to them for the last six months. No one can work without getting paid yet the Pilots of PIA kept on flying under very difficult circumstances without getting paid. Yet I am surprised PIA Pilots are being blamed. We should understand they have needs too they have children going to schools bills to pay a kitchen to run, and yet it is expected that they make ends meet without getting paid. Now these are the facts which need to be told to the public who is suffering due to the delays caused by the protest by the pilots. Regards
Insiders of the carrier are smelling the seriousness of PIA's condition and demanding prompt settlement now, which under normal circumstances could have been done over 3-4 weeks.
PIA= pls inform Allah +++++++++++++++++++++++++?