PIA flight operations hit as engineers’ row drags into sixth day

KARACHI: The dispute between the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) administration and aircraft engineers entered its sixth consecutive day, severely disrupting flight operations, sources said.

According to sources, nine flights were cancelled and 18 others faced delays ranging from three to ten hours due to technical issues and unavailability of spare parts.

Flights from Abu Dhabi to Peshawar, Dubai to Karachi, and Faisalabad to Dubai were among those cancelled, sources added. Similarly, Dubai to Faisalabad and Peshawar to Dubai flights were also cancelled, along with Gilgit and Islamabad-bound domestic flights.

The Islamabad to Al Ain flight (PK-143) departed after a delay of nearly 10 hours, according to sources.

By 5 PM, engineering-related issues had led to the cancellation of nine flights and delays in 18 domestic and international flights, severely affecting PIA’s overall schedule.

On November 04, 2025, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations across the country came to a halt after aircraft engineers launched a protest against the management.

According to sources, the dispute between the national carrier’s management and the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) intensified, leading engineers to suspend the clearance of aircraft for departure.

The engineers announced they would not resume work until the attitude of the PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) improves, sources said. The protest has resulted in the grounding of several domestic and international flights.

The PIA CEO has reportedly directed the Chief HR Officer to take strict disciplinary action against protesting engineers. “Engineers responsible for flight disruptions must face consequences,” the CEO instructed, according to sources within the airline.

Due to the ongoing protest, multiple PIA flights were cancelled or delayed, particularly on major international routes. Flights PK747 and PK744 on the Lahore and Madinah routes, and PK741 and PK736 on the Islamabad and Jeddah routes, were among those affected.

Similarly, flights PK761 and PK832 from Karachi to Jeddah could not depart, while PK263 and PK264 on the Karachi–Lahore–Abu Dhabi route faced long delays.

Operations on Karachi–Islamabad–Dubai and Peshawar routes (PK233 and PK284) and Karachi–Islamabad–Dammam routes (PK245 and PK246) were also disrupted.