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Pakistan’s deepening economic crisis has spilled over into its aviation sector, with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) coming to a complete halt after aircraft engineers suspended flight certifications, citing safety lapses and unpaid salary hikes. What began as a technical strike has now turned into a symbol of the country’s wider economic unraveling.

According to Pakistani media reports, not a single PIA international flight has taken off since around 8 pm on Monday. The Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) announced it had stopped issuing airworthiness certificates for aircraft, effectively grounding the national carrier’s fleet.

Engineers Protest ‘Unfair Treatment’

The SAEP, representing the airline’s technical engineers, said their salaries have not been increased for the past eight years despite repeated appeals. The group added that they had previously worn black armbands as a symbolic protest but were ignored by the airline’s management.

“This is not a strike. It is our regulatory obligation,” SAEP said in a statement. “We cannot certify an aircraft as airworthy when maintenance standards are compromised and safety procedures are not being followed. Passenger safety will not be sacrificed under any circumstances.”

The engineers also cited inadequate maintenance resources and poor safety oversight as reasons for suspending certifications. “No aircraft will be released without full compliance with airworthiness standards,” the statement added.

PIA’s management, however, dismissed the engineers’ claims, calling the move “illegal” under the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952. The airline’s CEO warned of strict legal action against those refusing to perform their duties, alleging that the agitation was aimed at derailing the ongoing privatization process.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah said efforts were underway to seek technical assistance from other airlines to restore operations. “We are working to resume flights as soon as possible. The disruption appears to be a deliberate attempt to sabotage privatization efforts,” he said.

PIA Becomes Victim Of Failing System?

More than a dozen international flights have been affected so far, including those from Lahore to Medina and from Karachi to Jeddah. Many passengers, including Umrah pilgrims, were seen waiting at airports without clear updates on departure schedules.

The disruption has added to PIA’s ongoing woes. Earlier this year, the airline suspended its Toronto service over maintenance issues with its Boeing 777 fleet. Flights to the United Kingdom, which had only resumed in late October after a five-year hiatus, have now again been halted due to the latest standoff.

The PIA crisis is not an isolated event but part of a much larger breakdown in Pakistan's economy. A phase of instability, once temporary, has become a full-blown structural collapse. The private sector, once the engine of job creation, is shrinking under heavy taxation and erratic state control, forcing skilled professionals and investors to flee abroad.

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According to The Express Tribune, even multinationals are offloading or exiting Pakistan entirely. Local entrepreneurs have also begun migrating to countries like the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Malaysia in search of a friendlier business environment. Middle-class Pakistanis are paying over 40 per cent tax rates with declining real incomes and rising inflation.

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The protest, which Pakistani media dubbed a "chakka jam," has shown the weakness of national institutions. The strike highlighted the persistent operational and financial problems at PIA, which continues to grapple with increasing debt burdens, an aging fleet of aircraft, and internal management differences.

The safety and salary disputes that led to the grounding of flights reflect the long-standing operational and financial troubles at PIA, which continues to grapple with mounting debts, ageing aircraft, and internal management conflicts. The grounding of flights over safety and salary disputes marks yet another setback for the airline, already struggling to regain public trust and financial stability.

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