Pakistan International Airlines faces flight disruption, Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan on Strike !

• A dispute between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) management and its aircraft engineers has brought flight operations to a near halt.
• The disgruntled staff have stopped granting clearances, leaving planes grounded and causing widespread disruption for passengers across the country.
• Sources said the engineers’ protest has severely disrupted flights. Since around 8pm on Monday, not a single international flight has been able to depart.
• At least 55 flights have been affected, with five cancelled across the Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad airports, they said.
• Twelve international flights have also been affected so far, leaving passengers in a difficult spot. A large number of them are Umrah pilgrims.
• The CEO of PIA has ordered strict action against the aircraft engineers. He said any engineer responsible for disrupting operations will face tough measures.
• Pakistani officials have said the government plans to sell the airline by year-end. 

The Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) is struggling to continue its flight operations that have been marred by delays due to a strike by aircraft technical staff, disrupting travle plans of hundreds of passengers as the national flag carrier has determined to go for legal action against staff involved in the protest.

As per reports, at least six PIA flights were delayed on Monday night after members of the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) went on strike. The strike caused several planes to remain grounded, while passengers remained stranded at airports. 

• Earlier, the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) said its members would not return to work until the airline’s CEO changed his attitude. They’ve stopped issuing airworthiness clearance for the aircraft, the union said.
• According to SAEP sources, the engineers had been wearing black armbands for almost two and a half months to press their demands.They said that even during this long, peaceful protest, the airline’s management didn’t bother to sit down and talk to them.
• Sources say the engineers haven’t received a raise in eight years, and the airline is facing a serious shortage of spare parts, alleging that the engineers are coerced to clear aircraft for flights in breach of aviation rules.
• A spokesman for PIA had said the SAEP had no legal status and alleged that the main aim of this movement was to sabotage PIA’s privatisation, which was in its final stages.
• PIA Officials said that due to the alleged “strike” by the SAEP, the national carrier had to rely on “alternative means” to ensure its flight operations.

Citing sources from within the SAEP, Pakistani news website Geo.tv reported that the engineers were protesting over not receiving a raise in eight years. Sources said that the national flag carrier is also facing a serious shortage of spare parts, alleging that its engineers are “coerced” to clear aircraft for flights in breach of aviation rules.

In a statement, the PIA said the SAEP has no legal standing. It alleged that the protest’s primary objective is to sabotage the airline’s privatization, which is in its final stages. 

“Using safety concerns as a pretext to collectively stop work under a planned scheme is a malicious conspiracy aimed at causing inconvenience to PIA passengers and exerting undue pressure on the management,” the PIA spokesperson said in a statement. 

PIA spokesperson said calling it a “safety issue” and walking off the job at the same time was a deliberate act meant to trouble passengers and create unfair pressure on the administration.

“The Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952, is in force at the national airline, which makes strikes or walkouts illegal,” the CEO said, adding that those taking part in or supporting such actions will face legal consequences.

SAEP Clarification !

Earlier it was reported that the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) members would not return to work until the airline’s CEO changed his attitude. They’ve stopped issuing airworthiness clearance for the aircraft, the union said.

However, with a latest statement, the SAEP made it clear that there was no strike from their side:

“The SAEP and its members are strictly working within the rules and procedures defined in the PIA Engineering Manual and Pakistan Civil Aviation Regulations,” as per a senior official of the SAEP.

“The ongoing situation has been misinterpreted by certain quarters of the management as a ‘strike’, whereas in reality, engineers are adhering to mandatory safety and certification protocols,” he claimed.

Pakistani Government has made several attempts to privatize the struggling PIA to raise funds and reform state-owned enterprises as envisaged under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal secured last year.

In 2024, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million.

In a subsequent statement issued on Tuesday morning, the airline’s spokesperson said flight operations have started to resume through alternative arrangements. He said the PIA’s PK-245 from Islamabad to Dammam flight and its PK-761 flight from Islamabad to Jeddah have departed for their destinations.

"The management was arranging engineering support from other airlines, and flights would begin departing soon,"

“Tech logs for other flights are also being cleared for departure and the management is present at the airports,” the airline said.

“No group or individual will be allowed to cause inconvenience to passengers or obstruct flight departures in any way.”

However, a SAEP representative said,

“Unfortunately, instead of addressing long-pending professional and financial concerns, the PIA management has chosen to label lawful compliance as disruption, which is misleading,” he said, adding:

“The SAEP’s stance remains consistent: safety comes first, and engineers will continue performing their duties strictly according to regulatory and procedural requirements.”

PIA had recently celebrated the restoration of its UK route after a five-year hiatus, marking a major milestone with flights to Manchester twice a week.

A ceremony was held at the airport before the resumption of the flights, which was specially attended by Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. A large portrait of a Manchester building was installed at the Islamabad Airport for the resumption.

However, the ongoing standoff threatens to undermine the airline’s progress and could further damage its global operational reputation.

Pakistan International Airlines knows it very well that any inhouse highlight on the aviation safety related issue will draw attention of Aviation Regulators around the World, which was faced by the carrier five years ago.

EASA  had suspended PIA flight operations to the EU in February 2021, after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) made public a "Significant Safety Concern for Pakistan”, indicating a serious degradation of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority certification and oversight capabilities.

You may like to read.....