Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan's national carrier and largest airline, has cancelled several domestic and international flights due to fuel shortage triggered by non-payment of dues to Pakistan State Oil (PSO). PSO has stopped the supply of fuel to PIA citing non-payment of dues.
Flight cancellations by PIA can also be attributed to other operational issues apart from fuel shortage, Pakistan's oldest newspaper Dawn reported. Around 24 flights including 11 international and 13 domestic flights were cancelled on Tuesday. The airline also cancelled 16 international and eight domestic flights for Wednesday while some flights are likely to get delayed.
Some of the international flights that got cancelled were scheduled to fly to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Sharjah, and Muscat. A PIA spokesperson told Dawn that due to limited fuel supply and operational reasons, the flights were cancelled whereas the departure of some flights has been rescheduled.
The airline also said that passengers who were scheduled to travel on cancelled flights were accommodated on alternative flights. It also advised passengers to contact the PIA call centre, offices or their travel agents before arriving at the airport.
PIA flights PK-331 from Multan to Karachi; PK-181 from Islamabad to Sharjah; PK-233 from Islamabad to Dubai; ; PK-182 from Sharjah to Islamabad; PK-284 from Dubai to Peshawar; PK-217 from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi; PK-262 from Abu Dhabi to Islamabad; and PK-330 from Karachi to Multan have been cancelled today.
Two-way flights PK-211 and PK-212 from Islamabad to Dubai, PK-263 and PK-264 from Lahore to Abu Dhabi, PK-258 and PK-257 from Sharjah to Peshawar, PK-205 and PK-206 from Lahore to Kuwait, PK-293 and PK-294 from Multan to Sharjah, PK-221 and PK-222 from Multan to Dubai, PK-281 and PK-282 from Sialkot to Muscat, PK-601 and PK-602 from Islamabad to Gilgit, PK-451 and PK-452 from Islamabad to Skardu, PK-368 and PK-369 from Karachi to Islamabad, and PK-179 and PK-180 from Sialkot to Dubai have also been cancelled.
Flights PK-213 and 214 from Karachi to Dubai, PK-217 and 262 from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi, PK-234 from Dubai to Islamabad were cancelled as well. Flights from Karachi to Lahore, Quetta, and Turbat were also cancelled. Several flights from Saudi Arabia and the UAE changed their destinations.