Officials of the Society of Aircraft Engineers Pakistan (SAEP) have strongly criticized the management of the national flag carrier, accusing it of gross technical negligence and poor decision-making that have left much of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) fleet grounded.
According to media reports, SAEP General Secretary Owais Jadoon said that serious lapses in aircraft maintenance and a series of non-technical administrative decisions have turned PIA’s fleet into “a scrapyard.” He said that the airline’s operational fleet has dropped from 34 aircraft to just 12.
Jadoon stressed that engineers were not to blame for the crisis, saying the PIA management bears full responsibility for the collapse of the airline’s fleet. “We will never compromise on passenger safety,” he said, adding that the airline’s Canada operations were suspended because landing gears were not replaced in time. Although management was given three months to procure new gears, he said, the parts were never ordered.
He revealed that landing gears were eventually brought from Germany on a charter aircraft, but the shipment arrived without the required tools, leaving the aircraft grounded in the hangar. Jadoon warned that a Boeing 777 is now at risk of becoming inoperable because of incorrect and non-standard maintenance procedures.
Blaming the management’s incompetence for pushing the airline toward collapse, Jadoon said engineers are working under extreme pressure and are often coerced to clear aircraft for flights despite serious technical faults. He claimed that on October 7, an engineer was assaulted for reporting a fault in a Toronto-bound aircraft.
SAEP President Abdullah Khan also criticized the management, saying that engineers who adhere to safety protocols are being punished through negative performance reports. “Engines and landing gears have kept aircraft parked in hangars. Spare parts are scarce, and even minor component replacements are becoming impossible,” he said.
Khan further alleged that engineers are being pressured to remove parts from one aircraft to use on another. “In one case, after an engineer refused to sign off on a faulty component, an unrelated officer signed the clearance himself,” he claimed. “That aircraft is still flying without proper clearance, yet no one is held accountable.”
He clarified that the engineers are not opposed to PIA’s privatization but want a permanent and responsible owner to restore the airline’s deteriorating condition. Khan added that engineers will continue to suspend their “Certificates of Authorization” until a safe, professional, and pressure-free working environment is ensured.
