Protests by PIA engineers result in countrywide flight disruptions.

The protest by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft engineers against unpaid compensation increments and administrative pressure commenced its second day on Wednesday.

During these protests, seven PIA flights were cancelled today, and 39 additional flights nationwide faced delays.

The walkout, orchestrated by the Aircraft Engineers’ Association, arises from escalating discontent among engineers with the conduct of the national airline’s CEO. The association’s president indicated that the engineers are exasperated with management’s methodology and unresponsiveness to their requests.

Simultaneously, the airline management underscored that operational disruptions would be unacceptable. A representative affirmed that the airline is dedicated to sustaining operations and has established contingency measures to reduce customer disruption.

The CEO of the national airline has allegedly mandated stringent measures against the protesting engineers, cautioning them of potential disciplinary repercussions. The airline management reiterated to staff that the Essential Services Act is currently in place, which forbids strikes or work stoppages in essential services. Any infraction, they observed, may lead to legal action.

He stated that the aviation engineers’ association have no legal authority, and “the true objective of this movement is to undermine the airline’s privatisation.”

Notwithstanding the persistent protests, airline officials have endeavoured to maintain minimum disruption to vital services, and operations have predominantly persisted. Travellers are encouraged to consult the airline for the most recent changes regarding flight itineraries.