ISLAMABAD – Fuel supply constraints and operational challenges continue to impact Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), resulting in the cancellation of further domestic and international flights.
Among the affected flights on Wednesday, 16 were international and 8 were domestic which disrupted the plans of thousands of flyers.
PIA officials cite limited daily fuel availability and operational considerations as the primary reasons for the disruptions which are part of the routine now.
A day earlier, 13 domestic flights and 11 international flights were canceled due to the non-availability of fuel, while 12 flights were delayed.
Though the national carrier assures that passengers from canceled flights have been accommodated on alternative routes, the disruption still bothered many who had to reach their destination on time.
The list of canceled flights for Wednesday includes various routes between cities like Multan, Karachi, Islamabad, Sharjah, Dubai, and others.
PIA has been handling financial challenges for quite a long period of time now. The national carrier requires approximately Rs100 million daily for fuel, and the suspension of supply from PSO has severely impacted flight operations.
The caretaker government’s decision to privatize PIA, coupled with the withdrawal of interim financial support, has intensified the airline’s challenges.
PIA’s challenges worsened recently after it was reported that the supply of spare parts to the carrier could be suspended over cash flow problems. The carrier has also grounded some planes in the wake of financial hardships.
Due to the same economic viability challenges, there have been demands for privatizing the national carrier. Former Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique also stressed the importance of privatizing the carrier or else it would have to shut operations.
In the final days of the PDM regime, it was also decided to privatize loss-making Pakistan International Airlines during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization chaired by then Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
The committee “after deliberation decided to include Pakistan International Airlines Co. Ltd. in the list of active privatization projects of the ongoing privatization program, following an amendment in the law by the Parliament,” a finance ministry statement had said.
