PIA forced to cancel 48 flights amid res­t­ri­ctions on fuel supply

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan’s national flag carrier and largest airline, canceled flights amid fuel shortage on Wednesday.

The res­t­ri­ctions on fuel supply owing to non-payment of dues as well as certain ope­r­ational issues continue to affect the flight operati­ons of PIA.

According to PIA spokesman, a limited fuel supply for PIA aircrafts on a daily basis and operational reasons are forcing state-owned entity to cancel flights , 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.

On Wednesday at least 24 domestic and international flig­hts were cancelled while 12 others were delayed.

Among the cancelled flights, some were scheduled for Dubai, Mus­cat, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait.

These PIA flights canceled scheduled for Wednesday OCT 18 are as follows:

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 were canceled.

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 were also canceled.

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 were also cancelled.

Earlier 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 also cancelled.

PK-213 and 214 from Karachi to Dubai; PK-217, 262 from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi; and PK-234 from Dubai to Islamabad were also cancelled.

A number of flights from the UAE and Saudi changed their destinations.

PIA claimes that the pas­­s­engers of the cance­lled flights were accommodated on alternative flights.

The national flag carrier airline 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.