Multiple flights were cancelled across Pakistan over the weekend as tensions escalated between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP).

While PIA attributed the disruptions to “weather conditions or operational reasons,” the engineers’ body maintained that flight operations would continue to face problems unless the airline’s management held talks on what it described as “serious issues.”

PIA spokesperson Hafeez Khan dismissed reports linking the cancellations to an engineers’ strike, calling them “fabricated.”

“Flight operations have not been hampered by this strike by the engineering staff as stand-by arrangements have been made through the Civil Aviation Authority and other airlines to keep flights on schedule,” he said.

However, senior PIA engineer Kashan Ahmed warned that disruptions would persist until management engaged with SAEP officials to address concerns related to safety and airworthiness.

Ahmed said the SAEP plays a critical role in ensuring air safety by clearing aircraft for flight. He added that the group had been flagging concerns about shortages of spare parts, scheduling issues, and aircraft fitness for several months.

“And we are being accused of trying to sabotage the privatisation of the airlines or to raise our pay,” he said.

Responding to these claims, the PIA spokesperson insisted that aircraft safety oversight falls under the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), not SAEP.

"The body responsible for air safety in Pakistan is the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which regulates all airlines, including PIA, under the strictest international standards and procedures,” the spokesperson said. “All matters concerning the use and replacement of parts, the fitness of aircraft for flight, and the routes, schedules, or changes thereto are under the direct purview of the PCAA and are executed only after seeking their approvals.”

Over the weekend, several television channels showed footage of frustrated passengers leaving airports in Karachi and Lahore due to flight cancellations and lengthy delays.

“Whatever is the dispute, it should be resolved quickly by the CAA as the passengers are the ones suffering the most,” one irate passenger said.

According to SAEP, its demands include a salary revision — which it said has been pending for eight years — along with timely access to aircraft spare parts and an improved working environment.