Despite the ongoing protest by aircraft engineers, the national airline has managed to keep its flight operations running. According to airline sources, the management successfully restored the operation by using alternative arrangements, allowing 16 domestic and international flights to depart from various cities across the country.
Sources stated that due to the crisis triggered by the engineers’ protest, 12 flights had to be cancelled nationwide, while more than 40 flights experienced significant delays or disruptions, causing difficulties for passengers.
A spokesperson for the national airline said that engineers halted aircraft clearance last night in an attempt to pressure the management, aiming to disrupt the operational system and force a shutdown of flight operations. However, senior and key engineering personnel worked together to restore services through alternative means, ensuring that essential operations could continue.
According to the spokesperson, several flights suffered delays or cancellations due to the unlawful work stoppage, though many major flights still departed on schedule or with minimal delays. Flight PK-783 from Karachi to Toronto and PK-701 from Islamabad to Manchester departed on time.
The Lahore–Madinah flight PK-747 departed after a 14-hour delay, while Karachi–Jeddah flight PK-761 took off after a 12-hour delay. Islamabad–Dubai flight PK-233 experienced a nine-hour delay, while PK-245 from Islamabad to Dammam and PK-755 from Sialkot to Riyadh departed seven hours late.
The spokesperson added that PK-741 from Islamabad to Jeddah faced a six-hour delay, and PK-300 from Karachi to Islamabad departed four hours late. Due to operational stress and schedule adjustments, a total of five flights were cancelled, and all affected passengers have been offered alternative travel options.
