From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: The restrictions on fuel supply owing to non-payment of dues continued to affect Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations as another 49 flights were cancelled on Wednesday.
As many as 49 domestic and international flights have been cancelled from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan, Peshawar and other cities after the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) slashed its fuel supply to the PIA, sources said. The flights include Karachi to Islamabad (PK 300, PK 301, PK 368, and PK 369) and Karachi to Turbat (PK 501 and PK 502), all of which had to be called off.
Lahore flights, including PK 302, PK 303, and PK 306, were affected as well.
In addition to this, flights from Karachi to Sukkur (PK 536 and PK 537) and Karachi to Quetta (PK 310 and PK 311) were also cancelled, intensifying the airline’s sufferings.
The international front also saw cancellations, with flight PK 242 from Dammam to Karachi and flights PK 322 and PK 323 from Lahore to Quetta being impacted.
Further disruptions were witnessed on international routes. Flights from Islamabad to Dubai (PK 233, PK 211), Abu Dhabi (PK 261, PK 262), Gilgit (PK 601, PK 602, PK 605, PK 606), and Quetta (PK 325 and PK 326) were among those cancelled.
Similarly, Islamabad flights to Skardu (PK 451 and PK 452) and Gilgit (PK 605 and PK 606) were unable to take off, along with services to Sukkur (PK 631 and PK 632).
Even flight PK 288 from Doha to Islamabad had to be cancelled, causing significant disruption to inter-national travel.
The spokesman said the management was trying to accommodate passengers on alternative flights and apologised for the problems caused by the cancellations.
According to the agreement that was signed between PIA and PSO, the national airline was bound to pay Rs 100 million per day but they paid Rs 70 million.
