Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operations came to a grinding halt nationwide after its aircraft engineers went on strike, refusing to issue mandatory airworthiness clearances in protest against management policies and unpaid demands. The sudden standoff has disrupted both domestic and international schedules, stranding hundreds of passengers across major airports.
Sources said the disruption began around 8 p.m. on Monday, and since then, not a single international flight has departed. At least 55 flights have been affected so far, with five cancelled from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Twelve international flights were also grounded, leaving many Umrah pilgrims in distress.
Two Karachi–Skardu flights and one Lahore–Karachi flight were cancelled, while Lahore–Muscat flights PK-329 and PK-330 were scrapped. The Karachi–Lahore flight PK-302 was delayed by over 14 hours, and the Karachi–Islamabad service PK-300 also failed to depart. Islamabad–Gilgit flights PK-601 and PK-602 were similarly grounded.
The Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) said its members would not return to work until the PIA CEO changes his “hostile attitude.” They said engineers had been wearing black armbands for over two months to protest stagnant salaries and a lack of dialogue. Many also complained of being pressured to clear flights despite a severe shortage of spare parts, in violation of safety rules.
“Passenger safety cannot be compromised under management pressure,” an SAEP representative said, accusing PIA of neglecting core operational concerns for years.
PIA’s management acknowledged the partial disruption but insisted that alternative arrangements were being made to resume flights. The airline’s CEO has ordered strict disciplinary action against any engineer involved in obstructing operations, terming the strike “illegal” under the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952.
He claimed the engineers’ protest was politically motivated to “sabotage the airline’s privatisation process,” adding that PIA had begun arranging engineering support from partner airlines to restore normal operations soon.
 operations came to a grinding halt nationwide after its aircraft engineers went on strike, refusing to issue mandatory airworthiness clearances in protest against management policies and unpaid demands. The sudden standoff has disrupted both domestic and international schedules, stranding hundreds of passengers across major airports.){kind=link}