Flights
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) cancelled many flights on Tuesday amid deepening financial crisis.
PIA cancelled several domestic flights to and from Karachi as the airline failed to settle its dues with Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for fuel supply.
Among the canceled flights are two Karachi-Muscat bound flights and two-way domestic journey from Karachi to Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Lahore.
Additionally, departures from Karachi to Turbat, Bahawalpur, and Sukkur were also removed from the schedule, as reported by airline sources.
The national airline urgently sought funds from the government to address this crisis.
Furthermore, scores of the PIA employees had not received their salaries.
A spokesperson from PIA stated that the officials are negotiating with the Ministry of Finance. He said the airline would soon release salaries of employees.
Meanwhile, last week media reports alerted about the financial crisis in PIA. It could lead to grounding 15 aircraft. The airline had to clear dues worth Rs20 billion, including payments for fuel, federal excise duty (FED), and lease payments.
Any delay in settling these dues could result in 15 planes being taken out of operation, potentially leading to the suspension of more than 30 domestic flights.
Meanwhile, in response to the critical situation, the Ministry of Aviation acknowledged that the overhaul of PIA was a complex process requiring a year’s time. However, they emphasized the importance of keeping the airline operational during this period.
