By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines, the country’s beleaguered national carrier, grappled with widespread disruptions on Sunday as a labor dispute with its engineering staff stretched into a sixth day, leading to the cancellation of nine flights and delays for 18 others.
The cancellations and delays stemmed from technical issues and a shortage of spare parts, according to airline officials, exacerbating tensions that have pitted management against the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan over working conditions and safety concerns.
By evening on Sunday, the affected international flights included those from Abu Dhabi to Peshawar, Dubai to Karachi, and Faisalabad to Dubai. In the reverse direction, flights from Dubai to Faisalabad and Peshawar to Dubai were also scrapped. Domestically, services between Gilgit and Islamabad, as well as between Skardu and Islamabad in both directions, were canceled. The 18 delayed flights, both domestic and international, faced holdups of up to 10 hours, stranding passengers and underscoring the deepening impasse.
The conflict escalated last week when PIA dismissed the president and secretary general of the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan. A notification dated Nov. 6 cited their failure to appear for personal hearings before the airline’s chief executive on Nov. 4 and 5. In response, the Air League, a labor union, and the Officers’ Association voiced solidarity with the engineers.
In a joint statement, they condemned the dismissals as a “blatant example” of “retaliatory action.” Shamim Akmal, president of the Air League, highlighted the airline’s precarious state, noting that PIA was going through a sensitive period amid long-standing issues of “corruption and financial mismanagement.” He added that raising concerns for passengers’ safety has now been treated as a punishable act.
The Officers’ Association called for the immediate reinstatement of the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan officials and urged PIA management to address the grievances through dialogue.
The airline management has accused the engineers’ group of trying to “sabotage the airline’s privatisation.” A PIA spokesperson said last week that the society’s decision to walk off the job after raising a “safety issue” was a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations and pressure the administration.
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