PIA’s fuel crisis

PIA’s ever-increasing financial woes are now leading to flight cancellations, as the airline can’t even pay for fuel — arguably an airline’s most basic operational expense. How we got here is common knowledge, as the airline that started as our flag carrier and a source of national pride has taken its time to turn into nothing more than an expensive embarrassment for the same flag. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) cut off the airline over its failure to clear its mounting fuel tab. PSO has previously threatened to do the same, but last-minute negotiations and government intervention would usually keep the pumps running. Not so this time, as the government was left stupefied by PIA’s massive cash demand and refused to pay up, while negotiations between the airline and the oil company remain at an impasse.

The airline cancelled at least 24 flights on Tuesday and another 24 on Wednesday, with more expected in the coming days. The 48 midweek cancellations included 27 international flights, which are considered the airline’s bread and butter. Indeed, some of the flights were on busy routes such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Muscat and Kuwait City. Dozens of other flights were delayed, and a few international flights were rerouted to other cities — possibly to cancel out some of the cancelled flights on higher-yield routes. It is also worth noting that airlines around the world are known to cancel low-occupancy flights for flimsy reasons and rebook passengers as a cost-cutting measure, although regulators usually frown upon the practice, to say the least.

An additional headache for customers has been the haphazard manner of the cancellations — PIA is reportedly asking people to call and check whether or not their flights are cancelled, rather than taking the initiative to inform paying customers and offering immediate compensation, or at least an apology. Another reminder that customer service is among the reasons people have lost interest in flying with the “great people” in favour of reliable, friendly and well-managed professionals.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2023.

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