KARACHI; Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Tuesday that it has resumed flight operations using alternate arrangements after widespread delays caused by what it termed a “strike” by the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP).
However, SAEP denied staging any strike, clarifying that engineers were merely following mandatory safety and certification protocols to ensure flight safety.
According to PIA, flight operations were severely disrupted across the country on Monday night after aircraft engineers refused to issue safety clearances, saying they could not compromise on air travel safety.
In a statement, the airline accused the “de-recognised entity” SAEP of trying to “sabotage the privatisation process” by halting operations at night. The PIA management said it swiftly mobilised its engineering and operational teams to restore services.
The airline stated, “By using alternative means and working tirelessly overnight and through the day, operations have been restored, reducing the impact on delayed flights and resuming subsequent schedules.”
PIA assured passengers that flight operations were now being fully restored and that customer convenience remained its top priority.
A total of seven flights — three from Islamabad, two from Karachi, and one each from Lahore and Sialkot — eventually departed after delays of 4 to 14 hours. Meanwhile, five flights were cancelled, with affected passengers accommodated on alternate flights.
The dispute between PIA and its engineers has been simmering for over two months. Engineers have been protesting by wearing black ribbons to highlight their grievances over salaries and work conditions. The situation escalated after SAEP members halted flight clearances, stranding hundreds of passengers at Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi airports.
SAEP President Abdullah Jadoon claimed that over 570 aircraft engineers were on strike and vowed to continue until their demands were met. However, another SAEP official maintained that the engineers were only complying with safety regulations, not striking.
“Instead of addressing long-standing financial and professional issues, the PIA management has labelled lawful compliance as disruption,” the engineer said.
A PIA spokesperson reiterated that SAEP had no legal recognition and alleged that the group’s actions were intended to disrupt the airline’s ongoing privatisation process.
Delays have been reported at several airports in recent months due to similar protests demanding salary increases and other reforms.
Flights Affected by Delays:
• PK747 Lahore–Madina: 316 passengers, delayed 14 hours
• PK761 Karachi–Jeddah: 160 passengers, delayed 12 hours
• PK300 Karachi–Islamabad: 139 passengers, delayed 4 hours
• PK741 Islamabad–Madina: 305 passengers, delayed 6 hours
• PK233 Islamabad–Dubai: 162 passengers, delayed 9 hours
• PK245 Islamabad–Dammam: 180 passengers, delayed 7 hours
• PK755 Sialkot–Riyadh: 142 passengers, delayed 7 hours
On-time departures included PK783 Karachi–Toronto and PK701 Islamabad–Manchester.
Five other flights were cancelled, with alternate arrangements provided for passengers.
