RAWALPINDI: Flights cancellations that occurred over the weekend were due to “schedule rationalisation, weather conditions, or other operational reasons”, PIA said on Sunday, refuting claims that a strike by engineering staff was hampering its operations.

In a statement, a PIA spokesperson also disputed claims about aircraft safety put forward by the Society of Aircraft Eng­ineers of Pakistan (SAEP), which had maintained that its personnel could not compromise on safety and airworthiness.

“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. 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,” the spokesperson said.

Referring to images of damage to an aircraft win­dscreen that circulated on the media, the spokesperson said that the use of steel tape for curing (drying) sealant after winds­creen repair was a routine matter. But, he maintained, an impression was wrongly created that “flights were being operated with a windscreen held together by tape”.

The spokesperson also claimed that the PIA management had not taken administrative or retaliatory action against any engineer, adding that the dismissal of the body’s “self-styled” president and general secretary was the result of administrative proceedings ongoing for the past four months.

However, the dismissal letter issued to both men last week stated they had been issued notices for conducting a press conference without prior authorisation and for disclosing official information to the media. The two men were subsequently fired after they failed to appear before an enquiry committee.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2025