RAWALPINDI: The restrictions on fuel supply owing to non-payment of dues as well as certain operational issues continued to affect the flight operations of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Tuesday, forcing the loss-making state-owned entity to cancel at least 24 domestic and international flights and delay 12 others.
Among the 24 cancelled flights, 11 were international and 13 were domestic. The PIA also cancelled over two dozen flights — 16 international and eight domestic flights — for Wednesday (today) as well while some flights are expected to be delayed.
A PIA spokesman said that due to a limited fuel supply for PIA aircrafts on a daily basis and for operational reasons, the flights were cancelled while the departure of some flights had been rescheduled.
He said that 13 domestic flights and 11 international flights were cancelled on Tuesday due to the non-availability of fuel, while 12 flights were delayed.
In addition to the domestic flights, some of the cancelled flights were scheduled to fly to Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait.
PIA claimed that the passengers of the cancelled flights were accommodated on alternative flights.
It also requested the passengers to contact the PIA call centre, PIA offices or their travel agent before arriving at the airport due to disruptions in flight operations of the airline amid a shortage of fuel.
List of cancelled flights
These PIA flights scheduled for today (Wednesday) have been cancelled.
Flight PK-331 from Multan to Karachi; PK-181 from Islamabad to Sharjah; PK-233 from Islamabad to Dubai; two-way flights PK-263 and PK-264 from Lahore to Abu Dhabi; two-way flights PK-258 and PK-257 from Sharjah to Peshawar; PK-182 from Sharjah to Islamabad; PK-284 from Dubai to Peshawar; PK-217 from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi; PK-262 from Abu Dhabi to Islamabad; two-way flights PK-281 and PK-282 from Sialkot to Muscat; two-way flights PK-205 and PK-206 from Lahore to Kuwait; two-way flights PK-293 and PK-294 from Multan to Sharjah; two-way flights PK-451 and PK-452 from Islamabad to Skardu; two-way flights PK-601 and PK-602 from Islamabad to Gilgit; two-way flights PK-368 and PK-369 from Karachi to Islamabad; and PK-330 from Karachi to Multan have been cancelled.
Similarly, two-way flights PK-211 and PK-212 from Islamabad to Dubai; two-way flights PK-221 and PK-222 from Multan to Dubai; and PK-179 and PK-180 from Sialkot to Dubai have been cancelled.
On Tuesday, PK-302, 303, 306 — two-way flights from Karachi to Lahore — were cancelled. Similarly, PK-308, 309, 368, and 369 from Karachi to Islamabad were cancelled. Flights from Karachi to Turbat, Quetta, and Lahore were cancelled too.
Also, PK-213 and 214 from Karachi to Dubai; PK-217, 262 from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi; and PK-234 from Dubai to Islamabad were cancelled. A number of flights from the UAE and Saudi changed their destinations.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2023
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