Flight disruptions persisted for the sixth straight day on Sunday as alleged conflicts between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) leadership and its aircraft engineers continued unresolved. 

 

 

Sources indicate that nine flights were cancelled and 18 were delayed throughout the day due to technical issues and lack of spare parts. The impacted routes consisted of various international and domestic flights.

 

 

Among the international flights, the cancelled ones included Abu Dhabi-Peshawar, Dubai-Karachi, Faisalabad-Dubai, Dubai-Faisalabad, and Peshawar-Dubai routes.  Domestic cancellations encompassed Gilgit-Islamabad, Islamabad-Gilgit, Skardu-Islamabad, and Islamabad-Skardu. Flight PK-143 from Islamabad to Al Ain took off nearly 10 hours behind schedule.

 

 

In total, 18 flights, both domestic and international, experienced delays ranging from three to ten hours. By 5 p.m., nine flights had been cancelled and 18 had been delayed, largely due to engineering-related problems. 

 

 

In a statement to the press, a PIA spokesperson refuted claims that the cancellations were the result of a strike by engineering staff, explaining that the recent disruptions were due to schedule adjustments, weather factors, or other operational challenges.

 

 

The dispute between PIA management and the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) reportedly originated on November 6, when the airline's CEO dismissed the SAEP president and secretary general for conducting a press conference and revealing official information.

 

 

On October 10, PIA engineers had claimed that poor management decisions and maintenance shortcomings had decreased the airline’s operational fleet from 34 aircraft to 12.

 

 

The PIA Air League and the Senior Staff Officers Association later voiced their support for the SAEP, denouncing the termination of its representatives and labeling it as administrative victimization.

 

 

The SAEP also accused PIA management of targeting engineers who insisted on upholding international safety standards. 
In a statement, it mentioned that the engineering department had begun retaliatory measures against staff members who raised maintenance issues.

 

 

PIA management dismissed the accusations, labeling the engineers’ statement “false” and “misleading.” The spokesperson asserted that the data provided by the engineering society was incorrect and aimed at gaining unwarranted attention on international platforms.