Pakistan

51 PIA flights cancelled following pilots' row with management

PIA spokesperson says it operated 95% of its flights on time today

Afp October 03, 2015

So far 51 flights have been cancelled and it has affected 5,000 passengers since Thursday, PIA spokesperson said. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Some 51 flights scheduled by the Pakistan International Airlines have been cancelled in three days after pilots refused to work following a dispute over conditions, an airline spokesperson said on Saturday.

"Due to pressure from PALPA (Pakistan Airline Pilots' Association) so far 51 flights have been cancelled and it has affected 5,000 passengers since Thursday," spokesperson for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Danyal Gilani said in a statement.

The row started after the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority suspended the licences of two pilots for one and two years respectively for "unlawfully operating flight without permission," he said.

Read: Negotiate or face action, PIA tells pilots

"In the guise of their personal agenda, PALPA leadership is blackmailing the management to agree to unjust promotions and unjustified benefits for PALPA executives," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, PIA spokesperson said the airlines operated 95% of its flights on time on Saturday.

A spokesperson of the national airline expressed the confidence that the pilots will reject the pressure of PALPA and will return to work.

“Efforts are being made to avoid delay in the Hajj operation and bring back the injured pilgrims to the homeland at the earliest,” he said, according to Radio Pakistan.

PALPA vice president Sadiq Rehman denied that pilots were exercising a "go slow" or observing a strike, but they were not taking on extra work and this is why the flights were cancelled.

"We are not on a strike or go slow and only following the agreement with the management," Rehman told AFP.

Read: Up in the air: 21 PIA flights cancelled

"I have just flown a regular flight today," he added.

"Our main issue is that the management is asking one man to do the job of two, and get the salary of one and a half men. We want this to end," Rehman said.

He added that the association was ready for negotiations.

The state-owned PIA has a fleet of 41 aircraft which include Boeing 777, Airbus A320 and ATR, and 436 active pilots.

COMMENTS (3)

confused | 8 years ago | Reply PIA has over ten pilots for every airplane - the ratio maybe significantly higher if you used "operating aircraft" as compared to total aircraft. If memory serves me correctly the industry std is 4-8 the higher number usually associated with airlines that focus on long hauls.

Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply Since my childhood, I am hearing about losses / deficits at PIA almost every year. The problem is typical like most of the other public-run institutions in Pakistan; Incompetence, mega-corruption, undue union interference, political recruitments, etc. The best way to save PIA is to privatize it fully..

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Replying to X