Pakistan: PIA flight operations disrupted as standoff with engineers drags on

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 5 : Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) continues to face major operational disruptions on Wednesday as its dispute with aircraft engineers shows no sign of resolution, The Express Tribune reported.

According to The Express Tribune, dozens of flights have been delayed and several have been cancelled amid the ongoing standoff.

Engineers have maintained that they will only issue flight clearances once completely satisfied with an aircraft's safety, asserting that no aircraft departs without being declared fully airworthy.

According to the Society of Aircraft Engineers Pakistan (SAEP), six engineers stationed at Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport were recently transferred to Karachi but are still performing their duties and issuing clearances for aircraft deemed fit to fly, The Express Tribune reported.

The SAEP reaffirmed that its members will not succumb to managerial pressure or compromise on flight safety and maintenance standards under any circumstances.

The engineers' demands include salary revisions unchanged for the past eight years along with timely availability of spare parts and a better working environment.

Amid the protest, engineers from a private firm cleared only two flights: one from Peshawar to Jeddah and another from Islamabad to Dammam, The Express Tribune reported.

Several flights were affected, including PK302 and PK306 from Karachi to Lahore, which were cancelled, while PK304 was delayed by ten hours.

Meanwhile, PK370 from Karachi to Islamabad was delayed by three hours and PK218 from Peshawar to Doha and PK286 from Doha to Peshawar were each delayed by 18 hours, as reported by The Express Tribune.

Earlier on Tuesday, PIA announced that its flight operations were "on the way to normalisation" following a late-night disruption attempt allegedly carried out by a "derecognised entity".

According to a PIA spokesperson, the "derecognised entity (SEAP)" attempted to halt operations late Monday night "in an effort to pressure the airline's management and sabotage the ongoing privatisation process," as reported by The Express Tribune.

He said that the airline's management and senior officials from the Engineering Division "acted swiftly, using alternative measures and working through the night to restore operations and limit the impact on already delayed flights."

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