PIA faces flight disruptions as five aircraft grounded
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) faced a significant
disruption in its flight services as five of its aircraft, including three
Boeing 777s, were grounded for maintenance issues, as reported by ARY News on
Saturday. Among these aircraft, two were permanently grounded, lacking engines.
As per ARY News, out of a total fleet of 12 aircraft, only
seven are currently operational, with one more being non-functional in Jeddah.
The national airline is in urgent need of $60 million for aircraft maintenance.
Financial
crisis forces Pakistan's national carrier, PIA, to ground 11 aircraft
In response to the crisis, Pakistan's caretaker Prime
Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar instructed his Minister for Privatisation, Fawad
Hasan Fawad, to accelerate the privatization process of Pakistan International
Airlines (PIA). This directive came during a meeting held in Islamabad to
review the progress of PIA's privatization. Kakar emphasized the importance of
aligning PIA's standards with international benchmarks and urged all relevant
stakeholders to expedite the privatization process.
During the meeting, the acting Prime Minister received an
update on the progress of PIA's privatization and welcomed Fawad Hasan Fawad to
his team.
PIA
to induct two grounded Boeing 777s in its fleet
Previously, PIA had to cancel several domestic and
international flights due to a severe financial crisis. These cancellations
affected flights operating to and from Karachi airport, as the national airline
was unable to settle its fuel supply dues with Pakistan State Oil (PSO). The
affected routes included Karachi-Turbat, Karachi-Gwadar, Karachi-Quetta,
Karachi-Sukkur, and Karachi-Multan.
Furthermore, PIA had previously grounded five leased
aircraft out of its total of 13, and there were additional concerns about
grounding four more planes due to pending dues.
Source: Khaleej Times