KARACHI: In the midst of a deepening financial crisis facing Pakistan's national flag carrier, more than 30 domestic and international flights have either been canceled or faced delays, a trend that has been observed in recent days.
The disrupted flight schedule is a direct consequence of the financially strained Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) being unable to purchase fuel. The airline is one of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recommended be privatized to bring fiscal balance to Pakistan.
Among the affected flights, five were scheduled from Karachi to destinations such as Turbat, Quetta, and Muscat. PIA was also unable to operate a flight to Dubai and two others to Islamabad from Karachi Airport, the busiest in the country.
Cities in Saudi Arabia have also experienced canceled flight operations, including two from Dammam and one from Jeddah to Karachi.
At Multan Airport, one flight each to Jeddah and Karachi, and another from Sharjah, were canceled. Simultaneously, an incoming flight from Jeddah had to be diverted to Lahore.
Additionally, the national flag carrier could not operate the Muscat-Faisalabad flight, as well as flights scheduled to Muscat, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait City.
In the federal capital, two flights each to Multan and Chitral, along with one each to Dammam, Jeddah, Dubai, and Muscat, were canceled.
The list of affected flights also includes two from Sialkot to Abu Dhabi, another from Dammam to Lahore, and two from Peshawar to Dubai. There are also details regarding delayed flights, such as the Islamabad-Kuala Lumpur PK-894 flight, which was delayed by 4 hours and 30 minutes, the Lahore-Riyadh PK-725 flight, delayed by 3 hours and 30 minutes, and the Lahore-Muscat PK-229 flight, which was rescheduled for 5:30 pm after an 8-hour delay.
