The payment of Rs70 million to the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) failed to produce desired results for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as another 49 flights of the airline were cancelled on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Karachi-Lahore flights PK-302, PK-303, PK-304 and PK-305 were cancelled.
Similarly, Karachi to Faisalabad flights PK-340, PK-341, Karachi-Islamabad flights PK-368, PK-369, Karachi-Gwadar flights PK-503, PK-504, Karachi to Multan flights PK-330 and PK-331 were cancelled.
Likewise Islamabad to Sharjah flights PK-181 and PK-182, Islamabad to Dubai flights PK-233, PK-211 and PK-234, Islamabad to Gilgit flights PK-601, PK-602, PK-605 and PK-606, Islamabad to Riyadh flights PK-753, PK-754 were also cancelled.
Similarly, Islamabad to Skardu flights PK-451 and PK-452, Islamabad to Sukkur flights PK-631 and PK-632, Islamabad to Abu Dhabi flights PK-261 and PK-262, and Islamabad to Damam flight PK-246 were also cancelled.
Lahore to Dubai flights PK-235, PK-203 and PK-204, Lahore to Jeddah flight PK-759 and Abu Dhabi to Lahore flight PK-264 were also cancelled.
Sialkot to Sharjah flights PK-209, PK-210, Sialkot to Masqat flights PK-281, PK-282 and Dubai-Sialkot flight PK-180 failed to take off either.
Likewise Peshawar to Dubai flights PK-283, PK-284, Peshawar to Sharjah flights PK-257 and PK-258 and Abu Dhabi to Peshawar flight PK-218 were also cancelled.
PK-224 flight from Dubai to Faisalabad, PK-293 flight from Multan to Sharjah and Dubai to Multan flight PK-222 were also cancelled.
Sherry Rehman says PIA losses preventable
Senior PPP leader and former federal minister Senator Sherry Rehman has said the decline in PIA performance is preventable.
In a post uploaded on X social media platform on Wednesday, Sherry Rehman said “Tragic to see the hundreds of cancellations of PIA flights all across the country. Not saying the airline has been a great performer, far from it. But it was never in total collapse like this. Private airlines are excellent but they don’t ply all the routes people in the country need, nor the cross-country time slots PIA flew. How has it come to pass that its liquidity is in such a critical pass that fuel payments have paralysed it? Interim Govt needs to act. I know it took a body blow from Licensegae but this level of precipitous decline is entirely preventable surely.”
Reporter: Tayyab Saif