'Work by the book' delays PIA flights
AMRAIZ KHAN
LAHORE - As the tussle between the Ground Engineers and the PIA management continues, the PIA flights are getting late due to "˜work by the book' of the ground engineers and pilots of the airline.
The Society of the Aircraft Engineers Pakistan has held the un-qualified ground engineers, hired from Pakistan Air Force, responsible for the crisis that led to the banning of PIA flights to the European destinations, sources in the SAEP told The Nation here on Wednesday.
A letter in this regard was written to PIA Chairman, Syed Tariq Kirmani for the removal of such unqualified ground engineers who did not possess valid license of ground engineer issued by Civil Aviation of Pakistan and ICAO.
Due to this crisis, flights operating on international routes are getting not only extraordinary late but also being cancelled which is evident from cancellation of two flights Wednesday, Pk-721 operating between Karachi and New York via Lahore-Manchester and PK-777 from Lahore to Glasgow, due to shortage of crew members, sources disclosed.
They said that on previous Wednesday a flight Pk-721 operating between Karachi, New York had been delayed for 48-hours. Similarly another flight Pk-796 arrived with a delay of 24-hour from Chicago to Lahore over which the passengers also protested. Apart from this, daily five to six flights are beyond the schedule, sources said.
An office bearer of the SAEP seeking anonymity, said that it was unannounced "˜go slow' policy as after the restrictions imposed by the European Union on the PIA planes, the airline management had held Ground Engineers responsible for the situation and PIA chairman in a circular had warned the Engineers that rectification of every defect in the plane would be their responsibility.
Following the circular of the PIA Chairman, the President of SAEP directed its members to examine the planes minutely but the SAEP President in a letter to PIA Chairman held un-qualified ground engineers hired from Pakistan Air Force responsible for the situation who had no license issued by CAA and ICAO, sources maintained.
They disclosed that there was severe resentment among the ground engineers over the issue as the management had not only hired unqualified engineers, but also offered them good salary packages, almost double the salaries that the qualified and the most experienced ones were drawing in the airline.
A resolution was unanimously passed in the meeting of the ground engineers held on March 9 in this regard. As per the resolution a letter was written to PIA Chairman over the issue and reservations of the engineers were brought into his notice, an Aircraft Engineer said.
Taking notice of the letter, the PIA Chairman provided relief to the four staff members of ground engineers, against whom action had been taken after of European Union's restrictions.
When contacted PIA spokesman was not available for version of the airline over the issue. Mobile phone number (03028223966) of Nasir Jamal, the General Manager Public Affairs, was off, while office number (021-9242373) went unattended.
At residence phone number (021-9230520) of Bashir Ahmad, the Deputy General Manager Public Affairs, a child told this scribe that her papa was not at home. When asked whether he had any cell number. "The child said, "No".
While a senior public relation officer, Athar Awan, confirmed that Bashir did have a cell phone.
Mrs Haroon, a senior Public Relation Officer when contacted, at her residence phone number (9220599), a child said that her mama was out of home. "You can contact her on her cell. When contacted on her cell number, the same girl attended the phone and said that her mama had forgotten her cell at home".
Later, Athar Awan, the Senior Public Relation Officer, was contacted, who said that he would be able to comment upon the news story after consulting his General Manager after 30 minutes. He said that his boss wanted to send him a questionnaire regarding the story and then he would issue the version of the airline next day. On Wednesday, when Mrs Haroon was contacted, and a questionnaire was submitted to her for further "˜action', she said that she would send the questionnaire to her boss by fax with the signature of the reporter concerned.
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