Overview
- As of Sunday, nine Pakistan International Airlines flights were cancelled and 18 were delayed by up to ten hours, affecting routes including Abu Dhabi–Peshawar and Dubai–Karachi.
- The dispute stems from aircraft engineers withholding airworthiness clearances over safety and working-condition grievances, which initially halted operations earlier in the week.
- PIA dismissed the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan’s president and secretary general on November 6 for not attending hearings, a move condemned by the Air League and the PIA Officers’ Association.
- Engineers report warning letters, caution notices and forced transfers for refusing to sign off aircraft they consider unsafe, and their union plans to challenge these actions in court and flag them to Aircraft Engineers International.
- PIA accuses the engineers’ body of trying to disrupt operations to derail privatisation and says alternative measures have been used to restore some services and accommodate affected passengers.