Society of Aeronautical Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP) president Abdullah Jadoon and general secretary Awais Jadoon were dismissed from service on Thursday amid an ongoing dispute with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafiz confirmed the development to Sunrise. The national flag carrier also issued two layoff notices to engineers, copies of which are available with Sunrise.
Abdullah’s role was declared as Aeronautical Engineer (PG-VI), while Awais was Aeronautical Engineer (PG-VIII).
The dismissal letters said notices were issued to the SAEP president for holding a press conference without prior authorization and for disclosing official information to the media, and to the SAEP secretary-general for unauthorized disclosure of confidential operational information and PIA images.
“In order to investigate the allegations/charges communicated to you through the aforementioned exposure notice, an investigation was conducted in which you did not participate despite providing ample opportunities to appear and plead your case,” the notices said.
“After examining the available evidence and statements of prosecution witnesses, the investigation committee found you guilty of the charges leveled against you,” they added. They further said that both SAEP officials were given two opportunities to appear before the director general, but they did not do so.
“Taking into account your entire disciplinary case, the management has decided to dismiss you from the service of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited,” the notices said, adding that these dismissals would take effect immediately.
The dismissals come amid an ongoing dispute between PIA management and SAEP, in which protesting engineers refused to issue clearance certificates to aircraft, a move that has disrupted flight operations in recent days.
Engineers have been protesting for two and a half months, calling for pay increases, among other demands, according to SAEP officials.
While the PIA has claimed that the engineers are on “strike”, the SAEP maintains that its engineers were on duty but were not issuing clearance certificates to aircraft without all the mandatory checks.
Earlier, the PIA spokesperson had highlighted that the Essential Services Act was in force in the PIA, according to which strikes or abandonment of work were legal offences. “All elements involved in or supporting such actions as part of a conspiracy will face legal action,” he had warned.
For his part, Awais Jadoon had earlier said that the two officers were on duty and working but could not compromise safety and airworthiness. “We are forced to issue authorization certificates (to release the planes), but we cannot put the lives of passengers at risk in such tense circumstances.”
He also clarified that the engineers were not on strike and said that they only issued clearance certificates to fully flyable aircraft.
Replying to a question about a meeting with the PIA management, he said the management had not called them for negotiations or to address the issues raised by the engineers, but to initiate a “personal investigation” against them.
Meanwhile, the PIA claims that the engineer’s protest is aimed at sabotaging the privatization of the national company.
Flight disruptions
The issue came to the fore when it was reported that hundreds of air travelers were stranded at three major airports on Monday night due to the protest by aeronautical engineers, which delayed at least six flights of the national flag carrier.
Over the past two months, similar delays have been reported at almost all of the country’s major airports.
On Tuesday, the PIA claimed to have restored flight operations through alternative arrangements. A PIA spokesperson said management had used alternative means and worked through the night to restore operations, mitigating the impact of already delayed flights on subsequent operations.
Also yesterday the PIA claimed to have managed to “partially restore its air operations.”
