Eighteen more domestic and foreign flights of the national airline have been canceled, causing inconvenience to passengers on Friday.
14 flights to and from Karachi were affected, with many experiencing unusual delays.
The cancellations have impacted several major routes, affecting travel between Karachi and multiple destinations. Flights from Karachi to Lahore, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Quetta have been canceled, leaving passengers stranded. Among the canceled flights are PK 308 and PK 368, both bound for Islamabad.
The international routes were also affected. Flights originating from Dammam, Muscat, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Quetta heading to Karachi were canceled, further compounding the situation. PK 319 and PK 369, scheduled to depart from Islamabad to Karachi, were also among the canceled flights.
Further disruptions were reported on flights departing from Islamabad to other cities, with four flights to Sukkur and Quetta being canceled. Notably, flight PK 743 from Karachi to Medina experienced a delay of 6 hours and 20 minutes, causing passengers significant inconvenience. Another flight, PK 735 to Jeddah, which was scheduled for 11 am, experienced a delay of a staggering 14 hours, further aggravating passengers' frustrations.
Delays also affected a flight from Multan to Madinah, with a delay of 4 hours and 25 minutes.
The flight cancellations and delays have left travelers, both domestic and international, grappling with the inconvenience and uncertainty surrounding their travel plans.
Travelers are advised to stay updated on the status of their flights and consider alternative travel arrangements to minimize disruptions during this challenging time.
PSO, PIA payment of dues issue
Regarding the issue of payment of dues with the PIA, the PSO has said that the national airlines were provided fuel with Rs3.45 billion between October 1 and 18.
According to Pakistan State Oil, fuel worth Rs195 million was supplied to PIA today (Thursday).
The PSO statement said the PIA’s current month’s liabilities so far have reached Rs2.11 billion, while the airlines already has liabilities of Rs26 billion for years.
According to the PSO, a provisional agreement has been signed with the PIA for daily fuel supply in exchange for daily payments.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been facing flight disruptions due to fuel supply suspension by the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). The suspension is reportedly due to PIA's non-payment of dues.
PSO sources say that PIA has once again failed to pay as promised, due to which fuel supply has been stopped in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said the stoppage of fuel supply has not affected flights abroad, which are departing according to schedule.
The fuel supply suspension is a major blow to PIA, which is already struggling financially. The airline has been forced to cancel or delay flights on several occasions in recent months due to a shortage of funds.
Domestic fares increased
Private airlines have started taking advantage of the PIA flight operations being affected, as they have suddenly increased their fares.
The private airlines have started charging Rs40,000 to Rs70,000 for domestic flights. The fare for a Lahore-Karachi flight has been raised up to Rs49,000 per seat.
The one-way fare from Karachi to Islamabad is being charged between Rs55,000 to Rs61,000.
This development comes in the wake of the PIA's domestic flight schedule having been adversely impacted for a week, which has also created beelines of intending passengers.
A private airline spokesman said the difference in demand and supply arises due to the extra rush of passengers.
Meanwhile, the financial crisis at PIA is getting serious by the day, as 35 domestic and foreign flights have been cancelled.
The schedule of several domestic flights has been disrupted due to the non-resumption of fuel supply. Many domestic and foreign flights have been delayed at various airports of the country.
The airlines administrations have issued a new schedule for the departure of the delayed flights.
