KARACHI — Pakistan International Airlines cancelled nine flights and delayed at least 18 more on November 9, 2025, after a dispute between the carrier’s management and the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan entered a sixth day, local media and airline statements said. The disruption affected a mix of domestic routes serving Gilgit and Skardu and international services to and from the Gulf, leaving passengers facing multi‑hour waits and some rebookings.
What happened and which services were affected
PIA and local news outlets reported that cancellations included international sectors such as Abu Dhabi–Peshawar, Dubai–Karachi and Faisalabad–Dubai; domestic cancellations involved return services on the Gilgit–Islamabad and Skardu–Islamabad corridors. Delays on other domestic and international sectors were reported to range up to about ten hours. PIA attributed the immediate operational disruption to technical issues and shortages of spare parts, while the engineers’ body said they were following mandatory safety and certification procedures.
Management action and union response
The standoff intensified after the airline dismissed two senior officials of the engineers’ group on November 6. The Express Tribune named the removed officials as SAEP President Abdullah Khan Jadun and Secretary General Owais Khan Jadun; the society says it will challenge the dismissals in court. Labour organisations including the Air League and the Officers’ Association publicly backed the engineers and demanded reinstatement of the officials, calling the move retaliatory and urging management to resolve differences through dialogue.
Conflicting narratives: safety protocols versus operational disruption
PIA has accused the engineers’ association — which it describes as derecognized — of attempting to disrupt operations and to pressure the airline amid its privatization process. In a statement reproduced by local outlets, the carrier said the group “tried to halt the operations” to frustrate privatisation and that management used alternate arrangements to restore services. SAEP and sympathetic unions rejected the allegation of a strike, saying engineers were refusing only to certify aircraft that did not meet airworthiness standards. Dawn reported the engineers saying they were adhering to the PIA Engineering Manual and Pakistan Civil Aviation Regulations and that “passenger safety cannot be compromised.”
Why this matters: safety record, financial strains and privatization
The dispute comes as PIA continues a fraught effort to restructure and privatize a loss‑making national carrier. The airline’s safety oversight and governance have been high‑profile issues in recent years: European regulators removed an EU ban on PIA in late 2024 after finding improvements in Pakistan’s aviation oversight, a development widely reported by international outlets such as Reuters. Still, recurring internal disputes between technical staff and management raise questions about whether operational and workplace disputes will undermine reforms and investor confidence.
Passenger impact and immediate remedies
Airlines typically balance safety, schedule integrity and passenger convenience by using alternate crews, spare aircraft or subcontracted maintenance. In this case, PIA said it ran “alternative arrangements” and offered rebookings while it worked to restore normal services. The length of delays reported — several hours in many cases — is likely to increase passenger complaints, compensation claims and logistical costs for the airline, compounding an already difficult commercial position.
What industry observers say
Aviation experts who have followed PIA’s recovery and privatization say such disputes can become litmus tests for the carrier’s governance reforms. When technical staff limit certifications on safety grounds, regulators expect transparent documentation of the fault and a clear remediation plan; conversely, management must show it is not using disciplinary measures to short‑circuit regulatory processes. That balance is essential both for day‑to‑day safety and for long‑term investor confidence.
Next steps and likely outcomes
In the short term, settlements are usually achieved through mediated talks, reinstatement offers pending formal inquiries, or legal action. Tribune reported the SAEP intends to legally contest the dismissals; labour allies have publicly urged reinstatement. For the privatisation timetable and for passengers, what matters is whether PIA and engineers can quickly agree a process to document and resolve safety concerns without further operational disruption.
This account draws on original reporting by Geo.tv and contemporaneous coverage from Dawn, The News, The Express Tribune and Pakistan Today. For background on PIA’s recent regulatory history and safety oversight, see reporting by Reuters. For ongoing Globally Pulse coverage of aviation and Pakistan’s economic reforms, see our Pakistan desk at Globally Pulse news.
