Financial crisis cripples PIA flight operations
Business
Over 30 international and domestic flights cancelled or delay
LAHORE (Dunya News/Web Desk) – Amid the worsening financial crisis the national flag carrier is facing, over 30 domestic and international flights were either cancelled or delayed on Thursday – a trend being witnessed in the recent days.
The disturbed flight schedule is a result of the cash-strapped PIA’s inability to buy fuel, which is among the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), must be privatised to introduce fiscal balance in Pakistan.
According to the details, five of these flights were from Karachi to Turbat, Quetta and Muscat. The PIA also couldn't operate a flight to Dubai and two others to Islamabad from the Karachi airport – the busiest in the country.
Meanwhile, the cities in Saudi Arabia are also among the destinations affected by the cancelled flight operations including two to Damam and one from Jeddah to Karachi.
When it comes to the Multan airport, one flight each to Jeddah and Karachi, and another from Sharjah have been cancelled. At the same time, an incoming flight from Jeddah was diverted to Lahore.
On the other hand, the national flag carrier could not operate a Muscat-Faisalabad flight along with the flights scheduled to Muscat, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City.
As far as the federal capital is concerned, two flights each to Multan and Chitral along with one each to Damam, Jeddah, Dubai and Muscat were cancelled.
Two Sialkot-Abu Dhabi flights, another from Damam to Lahore and two from Peshawar to Dubai are also on the list.
Meanwhile, the details to the delayed flights is given as:
Islamabad-Kuala Lumpur PK-894 (delayed by 4 hours and 30 minutes)
Lahore-Riyadh PK-725 (delayed by 3 hours and 30 minutes)
Lahore-Muscat PK-229 (rescheduled for 5:30pm after an 8-hour delay)
