As the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has refused to supply fuel to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier somehow has arranged fuel on its own to resume its flight operation, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.
However, according to sources, the PSO provided fuel for 13 PIA flights after the national flag carrier paid Rs125 million to the state oil company.
Sources said that the PIA limit for payment was ended with it and the PSO was not going to provide fuel for further flights.
After getting fuel, the PIA resumed the following flights:
PIA flight PK 209 took off from Sialkot for Sharjah after a 10-hour delay.
Dubai-bound flight PK 233 departed from Islamabad after a delay of 11 hours.
Sharjah-bound flight PK 293 took off from Multan airport after a delay of 12 hours.
Islamabad-bound flight PK 300 could resume its operation from Karachi airport after three hours.
Karachi-bound flight PK 307 departed from Lahore airport after 13 hours delay.
According to earlier reports, the crisis-hit PIA could not get funds for fuel payments to the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) owing to which the latter suspended fuel supply to the national flag carrier bringing its flight operation to a halt across the country.
No PIA aircraft could fly in the last 12 hours. Out of PIA's last four flights, three landed at Islamabad Airport and one at Peshawar Airport. At this time, and there was no PIA plane in the air.
The four international flights were returned from Dammam, Al Ain, Madinah and Jeddah.
The last flights included three Boeing and one Airbus aircraft.
PIA had put seven flights on hold.
At Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, 10 domestic and international flights were put on hold. Six flights from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and three international flights of PIA from Sialkot International Airport were also put on hold due to the non-availability of fuel.
Yesterday, PIA officials' negotiations with the Aviation and Finance Division were not successful. The national flag carrier demanded the immediate release of Rs7 billion in funds for the payment of fuel charges to the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) but the government did not give any assurance and the national airline could not get the funds.
The PIA spokesperson did not give any statement on the availability of funds and fuel.
Reporters Ashraf Khan and Tayyab Saif