KARACHI – Dozens of national and international flights faced disruptions as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is facing hard times in clearing dues worth whopping Rs20 billion.
The country’s national flag carrier has been grappling with a major debt burden, which has made it challenging to finance its flight operations and to manage its fleet and facilities.
As the airlines’ woes piled up, its domestic flights from Karachi were canceled or delayed as the state-owned airline failed to pay Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for fuel supply.
Flights from Karachi-Muscat, Karachi to Faisalabad, Islamabad and Lahore, and Karachi to Turbat, Bahawalpur, and Sukkur have also faced delays due to lack of funds.
Amid the haphazard situation, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has approached the federal government for quick funds.
Beside the flight operations, officials and staffers of the country’s largest airline had also not been paid their salaries. Ministry of Finance and other officials reportedly assured to release of the salaries of the employees.
PIA is facing a threat to ground more than a dozen planes as the airline failed to clear dues worth up to Rs20 billion.
In recent months, the Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan also froze 13 PIA bank accounts due to non-payment of Rs8 billion in FED.
