Pakistan: Engineers Halt Flights as Salaries Remain Unpaid, International Operations Grounded

Islamabad: PIA aircraft engineers have raised complaints about salary hike, shortage of spare parts and lack of safety assurance. The Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) said that they have not received any increment for the last 8 years and now they are feeling pressure to clear the aircraft for flying without adequate spare parts.  Engineers have said that “we cannot carry out management orders by putting the lives of passengers at risk.” 

What was the effect of the strike?

• No international flight of PIA has departed since 8 pm on Monday night. 
• At least 12 scheduled flights have been affected and hundreds of passengers are stranded at airports like Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore—including those on Umrah pilgrimage. 
•  The airline has said that the management is trying to get engineering support from other airlines so that operations can start soon. 

What is the management's stance?

PIA CEO has termed the strike as “illegal” and said it comes under the Pakistan Essential Services Act 1952. He has claimed that the aim of the strike is to influence the ongoing privatization process of the airline.

Why is this event important?

• This incident isn't just an employee dispute — it has bigger implications:
• The disruption of operations of a major national airline shows that internal systemic challenges have not been addressed.
• There is a direct impact on passengers and airports, which takes a hit to reliability.
• The public raising of security-related complaints is a worrying sign that trust in clearance processes is eroding.
• Such tensions are coming to the fore at a time when PIA is under pressure to take steps towards privatization and reform.

What impact can this strike have in the future?

Experts believe that if a solution is not found soon between PIA and the engineers, the strike may drag on, which will continuously impact international flights. This could have a lasting impact on the airline's image and trustworthiness, especially for passengers on Umrah or other religious and business trips. Additionally, this controversy has also shown that ignoring employee safety and pay issues can seriously jeopardize operations in the long run.