KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flight operations were disrupted this week due to a strike by aircraft engineers, causing difficulties for hundreds of passengers as the national flag carrier vowed legal action against those involved in the protest.
At least six PIA flights were delayed on Monday night after members of the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) went on strike, local media widely reported. The strike caused several planes to remain grounded, causing hundreds of passengers to remain stranded at airports.
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 issued late Monday night, 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.
