Over 600 international and domestic flights of Pakistan’s flag carrier have have been cancelled since the suspension of operations last week due to a countrywide strike by its employees over the government’s plans to privatise the troubled airline.
“More than 600 international and domestic flights of PIA have been cancelled during the last five days or so. However, two PIA flights left for Jeddah on Sunday to bring back stranded passengers,” Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesman Daniyal Gilani told PTI on Sunday.
He said the employees have been requested to resume duties and save the national carrier.
“Two planes will bring back 800 passengers stranded in Jeddah for the last few days,” he said. PIA had earlier requested Saudi Airlines to ferry its stranded passengers back. But it had run only one flight and brought back just 300 passengers, as a result thousands of PIA passengers faced great inconvenience because of the strike.
The PIA management had signed an agreement with Saudi Airlines and Eithad Airways as well as private airlines, Air Blue and Shaheen Airlines, to facilitate travel by its passengers with confirmed bookings.
But these airlines are reportedly not honouring the commitment, the PIA spokesman said.
The employees, who have been protesting for the last several weeks to stop the government from privatising PIA, suspended flight operations last Tuesday following the deaths of two senior employees allegedly in police firing.