Staff’s slackness cost PIA over Rs38b

Completion of aircraft maintenance task, originally a month’s work, stretches to 905 days

The national flag carrier suffered a loss of over Rs38 billion just because of the slackness and inefficiency of its technical staff. The airlines engineering department took up to 905 days in completing maintenance jobs that were supposed to be completed in less than a month.

According to the Auditor General of Pakistan’s report submitted to parliament, a total of five aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were temporarily grounded in 2021 for scheduled maintenance.

These airplanes comprised two Boeing 777, two Airbus A320 and an ATR 72. The PIA owned the Boeing planes while it had acquired the rest on lease.

As per the maintenance plan, the management had allocated from 19 to 28 days for scheduled maintenance. However, the engineering department completed the work after an inordinate delay.

The department took 520 and 250 days in completing maintenance jobs of the two Boeing aircraft—respectively bearing registration numbers AP-BID and AP-BMG.

Read more: PIA ranks 5th in terms of punctuality: CAA report

It took 905 days in completing maintenance of one of the Airbus aircraft and the ATR 72 plane while taking 540 days in doing maintenance of the second Airbus. Collectively, the department took 2,991 days in completing the task that resulted in per day loss of around Rs12.8m.

According to Section 2.10.3.1 the PIA’s Engineering and Maintenance Manual, the department must respect minimum maintenance requirements and ensure that maintenance is carried out in conformity with the manufacturers’ documentation and instructions.

The audit report highlighted that the matter was reported to the PIA management on December 16, 2022 and was discussed at the Departmental Audit Committee (DAC) meeting held on January 16, 2023.

At the meeting, the management took the stance that reduced operations, financial constraints and requirement of new parts for the operating fleet “resulted in increased cannibalization from aircraft under heavy maintenance which caused delay in aircraft rollout”.

“The DAC directed the management to provide relevant documents to the auditors reflecting efforts/justifications for extended delays. However, no record was produced by the management till finalization of this report,” it said.

Scheduled maintenance in the context of aviation refers to routine, planned, and organized maintenance activities that are carried out on aircraft and their associated systems and components at predetermined intervals.

The purpose of scheduled maintenance is to ensure the continued airworthiness, safety, and reliability of the aircraft. These maintenance tasks are typically based on manufacturer recommendations, regulatory requirements, and the aircraft's operational history.

Scheduled maintenance includes various activities such as inspections, component replacements, system checks, and other tasks aimed at preventing or identifying issues before they become safety hazards. These maintenance intervals are often measured in flight hours, flight cycles, or calendar time, and they vary depending on the type of aircraft, its usage, and regulatory guidelines.

Saudi aviation authority issues warning

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued a warning to around 28 airlines including the PIA due to delay in arrival and departure of their planes.

GACA has noted that if the PIA did not stick to its flight schedule then it would reduce the airlines’ slot during the summer season while also imposing a fine on it.