Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 777 aircraft experienced technical issues during international trips due to the absence of routine maintenance and repair.
Consistent neglect of the maintenance and repair tasks by PIA’s engineering department has led to an alarming increase in technical glitches within the fleet. These issues not only elevate the risks associated with flight safety but have also resulted in passenger inconvenience and monetary setbacks for the airline.
For instance, several of these Boeing 777s faced technical hitches on routes to Saudi Arabia, incurring repair costs of millions of dollars. One significant incident involved the auxiliary power unit (APU) exhaust of the Jeddah-Lahore flight PK-760. Upon pushing back from the boarding bridge, the aircraft encountered an issue, prompting the pilot to employ an emergency brake and activate a firebolt.
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Delayed Flights and Passenger Disruptions
Following this malfunction, the plane was grounded, causing a delay of over a day. But this wasn’t an isolated event. On the same day, another aircraft, set to journey from Sialkot to Jeddah, reported smog alerts within the cockpit.
To address concerns and provide updates, the PIA spokesperson announced that travellers of the grounded aircraft would be departing from Lahore to Jeddah shortly.