Saudi Aviation has issued a warning to PIA
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The General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia has issued a warning to PIA. In the warning letter, it has been stated that PIA must ensure the punctuality and reliability of its flights, and if performance does not improve, flight slots will be reduced. Saudi Aviation has issued warning letters to a total of 26 airlines.
PIA has also been warned for delays in flights. According to sources, PIA's flight operations for Saudi Arabia are severely affected due to aircraft breakdowns, leading to significant delays in flights. It should be noted that PIA's flight PK 859 from Karachi to Jeddah was delayed by several hours, which was supposed to depart at 8 AM.
Due to the absence of aircraft, the flight couldn't take off, causing inconvenience to passengers. The flight is now expected to depart around 4:45 PM. PIA's flight PK 742 from Jeddah to Karachi also experienced a delay of over five hours. PIA's flight PK 301 from Islamabad to Karachi faced a delay of over three hours, causing considerable inconvenience to passengers.
Flight delays have become a frequent occurrence due to five of PIA's Boeing 777 aircraft being grounded. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is currently facing difficulties in securing the funds required to make these aircraft operational again. PIA has a total of 31 aircraft, including a significant number of Airbus A320 leased from European aircraft manufacturer "Airbus."
Additionally, PIA also has some Boeing aircraft in its fleet. Approximately 15 of these aircraft are leased by PIA, meaning that the national carrier has to make regular payments to leasing companies to use these aircraft for its operations.
Apart from leasing costs, PIA also has to make payments for fuel, spare parts, and airport services to keep the aircraft flight-worthy. Taxes and loan repayments are also part of the financial responsibilities. Out of PIA's 31 aircraft, nearly 25 are flight-worthy, while several others have been grounded due to delayed payments and maintenance issues.
