Several PIA flights cancelled, delayed
Due to the ongoing dispute between the PIA management and aircraft engineers, flight cancellations and delays continued on Sunday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption.
According to sources, nine PIA flights were cancelled and 18 flights delayed from morning to evening on Sunday. The cancellations and delays were primarily caused by technical malfunctions in aircraft and the non-availability of spare parts.
Among the international flights cancelled were Abu Dhabi-Peshawar, Dubai-Karachi, Faisalabad-Dubai, Dubai-Faisalabad, and Peshawar-Dubai.
Domestically, the cancelled flights included Gilgit-Islamabad, Islamabad-Gilgit, Skardu-Islamabad, and Islamabad-Skardu. Flight PK-143 from Islamabad to Al Ain departed almost 10 hours late.
In total, 18 domestic and international flights of the national carrier faced delays ranging from three to ten hours. By 5pm alone, nine flights had been cancelled and 18 delayed purely due to engineering-related issues.
In a detailed statement issued to the media, the PIA spokesperson, however, claimed that no PIA flight had been cancelled over the past two days due to a strike by engineering staff.
"Cancellations that occurred were due to schedule rationalization, weather conditions, or other operational reasons," it said.
A conflict between the PIA management and the Society of Aircraft Engineers (SAEP) intensified on November 6 after the PIA chief executive officer (CEO) dismissed the SAEP president and the secretary general from service for holding a press conference and revealing official information.
On October 10, PIA engineers alleged that serious lapses in aircraft maintenance and a series of non-technical decisions by management had turned the PIA fleet into a scrapyard, reducing the number of operational aircraft from 34 to just 12.
Meanwhile, the PIA Air League and the PIA Senior Staff Officers Association (SASA) have announced their support for the SEAP amid its dispute with PIA management.
Both unions condemned the dismissal of the SEAP president and general secretary over addressing a press conference, calling it an act of administrative victimization.
The SEAP also strongly condemned the PIA management's crackdown on engineers "who refuse to compromise passenger safety". In a statement, the SEAP said PIA Engineering has started retaliatory measures against those insisting on maintaining international maintenance standards.
The PIA spokesperson said the statement released by "the so-called engineering societycontaining false data and facts contrary to realityand its subsequent media coverage, represents a malicious attempt to draw undue attention on international forums".