Financial crisis forces Pakistan's national carrier,
PIA, to ground 11 aircraft
Pakistan's struggling national carrier,
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has been compelled to ground 11
aircraft, including three Boeing 777s, due to inadequate funds for necessary
part replacements.
An anonymous PIA official revealed that the
airline's management has taken the step to ground these aircraft over the past
three years as a result of the ongoing financial turmoil within the airline.
Escalating dollar rates and petroleum product prices have further exacerbated
the situation.
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Out of the 31 aircraft that PIA operates on
international and domestic routes, 11 have been grounded at the Karachi and
Islamabad airports. The financial constraints have hampered the airline's
ability to procure spare parts since the previous year, thus contributing to
the gradual grounding of these aircraft.
The airline's predicament has been compounded
by labor union strikes triggered by the government's intentions to privatize
PIA. These strikes have further strained the airline's operations.
Among the grounded aircraft, two of the three
wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft were immobilized in 2020 and 2021, while five
A320 aircraft faced grounding, with two in 2021 and three in 2023.
Additionally, three ATR aircraft were also grounded, one each in 2020, 2022,
and 2023.
Distressingly, three of the grounded aircraft,
comprising a Boeing 777, Airbus, and ATR, are deemed irreparable.
While the airline is striving to continue
operations with the remaining 20 available aircraft, the flight schedule,
especially on domestic routes, has been significantly affected.
PIA, with its network encompassing 19
destinations across Asia, Europe, and North America, is navigating these
challenges in its pursuit of stability.
Source: Press Trust of India