KARACHI:
Due to the ongoing conflict between PIA management and aeronautical engineers, flight cancellations and delays continued on Sunday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruptions.
According to sources, nine PIA flights were canceled and 18 flights delayed from morning to evening on Sunday. Cancellations and delays were mainly due to technical malfunctions of the aircraft and unavailability of spare parts.
Among the canceled international flights were Abu Dhabi-Peshawar, Dubai-Karachi, Faisalabad-Dubai, Dubai-Faisalabad and Peshawar-Dubai.
Domestically, the canceled flights included Gilgit-Islamabad, Islamabad-Gilgit, Skardu-Islamabad and Islamabad-Skardu. Flight PK-143 from Islamabad to Al Ain departed almost 10 hours late.
A total of 18 domestic and international flights of the national airline faced delays ranging from three to ten hours. As of 5 p.m. alone, nine flights had been canceled and 18 delayed solely due to technical problems.
In a detailed statement to the media, the PIA spokesperson, however, claimed that no PIA flight was canceled in the last two days due to strike by technical staff.
“Cancellations that occurred were due to scheduling rationalization, weather conditions or other operational reasons,” it said.
A conflict between PIA management and the Society of Aircraft Engineers (SAEP) intensified on November 6 after PIA’s chief executive officer (CEO) dismissed the SAEP president and general secretary for holding a press conference and revealing official information.
On October 10, PIA engineers claimed that serious lapses in aircraft maintenance and a series of non-technical management decisions had turned PIA’s 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 SEAP amid its dispute with the PIA management.
Both unions condemned the dismissal of the SEAP president and general secretary for speaking at a press conference, calling it an act of administrative victimization.
SEAP also strongly condemned the crackdown by PIA management against engineers “who refuse to compromise passenger safety”. In a statement, SEAP said PIA Engineering had launched retaliatory measures against those who insisted on maintaining international maintenance standards.
The PIA spokesperson said the statement issued by “the so-called engineering company – containing false data and facts contrary to reality – and its subsequent media coverage, represent a malicious attempt to attract undue attention in international forums”.
