PIA flight operations partially restored
Business
Domestic and international flights were either cancelled or delayed over fuel payment issue
KARACHI (Web Desk) - The flight operations of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) have partially been restored after significant progress in talks with Pakistan State Oil (PSO) regarding payments for fuel supply.
In a statement, the state-owned oil company said that the national carrier has requested fuel for 20 more flights, adding that the fuel will be provided till 3 pm on Monday.
Due to cancellation and delay of PIA flights, hundreds of passengers have been facing inconvenience for past several days.
On Sunday, a tense situation arose over the fuel payments after the PIA consumed it daily limit.
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.
