As many as 49 flights of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were again cancelled today after the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) refused to supply fuel to the airline despite the payment of over Rs130 million, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
PSO insists it will not supply fuel to the PIA unless the latter clears its dues.
However, fuel is being supplied to some special PIA flights.
PSO’s refusal has resulted in the cancellation of five PIA flights from Karachi to Islamabad.
The flights are PK-300, PK-301, PK-368, PK-369 and PK-370.
Similarly, two flights PK-501 and PK-502, heading from Karachi to Turbat in Balochistan, have also been cancelled.
Likewise, four flights from Karachi to Lahore PK-302, PK-303, PK-304 and PK-305 have been cancelled as well.
Two flights from Karachi to Quetta PK-310 and PK-311 and equal number of flights from Karachi to Sukkur PK-536 and PK-537 also had to be cancelled amid PIA-PSO row.
Similarly, PK-331, heading from Multan to Karachi, and two flights from Islamabad to Multan PK-681 and PK-682 could not take off either.
PIA’s Sharjah to Multan flight PK-294 was also cancelled.
Two flights from Karachi to Dubai PK-213 and PK-208 and Karachi-Jeddah flight PK-732 were also cancelled.
Likewise, two flights from Faisalabad to Muscat PK-165 and PK-166 and an equal number of flights from Lahore to Muscat PK-229 and PK-230 were cancelled as well.
Doha to Lahore flight PK-280 and Dubai to Lahore flight PK-204 were also cancelled.
Similarly, two flights from Sialkot to Abu Dhabi PK-177 and PK-178, two flights from Sialkot to Damam PK-243 and PK-244 also had to be cancelled.
Dubai to Sialkot flight PK-180 could not take off either.
Two flights from Islamabad to Skardu PK-451 and PK-452 were also cancelled.
Four flights heading from Islamabad to Gilgit PK-601, PK-602, PK-605 and PK-606 were also cancelled.
Islamabad to Chitral flights PK-660 and PK-661 and Islamabad to Dubai flight PK-211 were also cancelled.
Islamabad to Jeddah flight PK-841 and two flights from Islamabad to Abu Dhabi PK-261 and PK-262 were cancelled as well.
Peshawar to Doha flight PK-285, and two flights from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi PK-217 and PK-218 were cancelled too.
Likewise, PK-736, heading from Jeddah to Peshawar was also cancelled.
PIA officials, on the other hand, have said that right now only four planes of the national flag carrier are in the air.
Reporter: Tayyab Saif