Overview
- By 5 p.m. Sunday, nine flights were cancelled and 18 delayed across routes such as Abu Dhabi–Peshawar, Dubai–Karachi, and Islamabad–Skardu, with holdups of up to ten hours.
- The confrontation intensified after PIA dismissed the SAEP president and secretary general on Nov. 6, leading engineers to stop issuing airworthiness clearances in protest over the CEO’s conduct.
- SEAP alleges warning letters, caution notices and forced transfers for refusing to compromise on maintenance standards, and it plans court challenges and outreach to Aircraft Engineers International.
- PIA denies retaliatory actions or mismanagement, points to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority oversight and recent audits, and says a reported windscreen issue involved only an inner layer with temporary, standard repair steps.
- Labour groups including the Air League and the PIA Officers’ Association have sided with the engineers, urging reinstatements and dialogue as passengers continue to face cancellations and long delays.