The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has rejected allegations of the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) regarding aircraft safety, accusing the group of attempting to “sabotage” the long-pending privatization of the national flag carrier.
In a statement on Sunday, a PIA spokesman rejected the SAEP’s protest over work conditions and safety-related grievances. “The body responsible for air safety in Pakistan is the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which regulates all airlines, including PIA, under the strictest international standards and procedures,” they said. “All matters concerning the use and replacement of parts, the fitness of aircraft for flight, and the routes, schedules, or changes thereto are under the direct purview of the PCAA and are executed only after seeking their approvals,” they added.
The airline claimed flights cancellations and delays over the past six days were not due to the SAEP’s strike, but rather “schedule rationalization, weather conditions, or other operational reasons.” Referring to images showing damage to an aircraft windscreen, the spokesman said this was a routine matter. He regretted that a wrong impression was being created that “flights were being operated with a windscreen held together by tape.”
The stalemate between the PIA management and its engineering staff worsened last week after the national carrier dismissed the president and secretary general of the SAEP for failing to appear for personal hearings before the airline’s chief executive officer. Rejecting that these dismissals were retaliatory, the PIA spokesman claimed they were the result of administrative proceedings ongoing for the past four months.
Meanwhile, labor representative union Air League and the Officers’ Association have both announced support for the aircraft engineers. In a joint statement, they described the dismissal of the two SAEP officials as a “blatant example” of “retaliatory action,” and claimed they were being punished for raising concerns for passengers’ safety.