16 PIA Aircraft Grounded as MPs Question Service

A parliamentary committee was told on November 4, 2026, that the PIA grounded aircraft total stands at 16, while the airline operates only 17 or 18 planes. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Privatization raised concerns about the fleet and service quality during a briefing on the national carrier.

Officials told the committee that PIA’s aircraft previously had an average age of 21 to 22 years. The airline has received one Boeing Dreamliner, with another expected in January. The two aircraft are between seven and eight years old. Officials said efforts were under way to restore grounded planes, with repairs being carried out where suitable engines were available.

Committee members also questioned the airline’s performance despite tax relief, and expressed concern that the committee had still not received a required report on PIA. Separately, members criticised several ministries for failing to respond to parliamentary questions and submit requested information.

PIA grounded aircraft: what the committee heard

The briefing gave a stark picture of an airline operating with roughly half its fleet on the ground. With 16 aircraft grounded and 17 or 18 in service, PIA’s total fleet stands at around 33 or 34 aircraft. The grounded planes limit the airline’s ability to add routes or increase frequencies, even as it announces new services such as the Islamabad-Birmingham flights starting December 1, covered in PIA to Fly Islamabad-Birmingham Three Times a Week.

Officials said PIA’s London flights had resumed on a daily basis, while services to Manchester and Birmingham were expected to start. Karachi-London flights are scheduled to begin in March 2027. The Secretary of the Privatization Commission said passengers were being served meals on London flights and had responded positively to the biryani and pulao offered on board.

The arrival of the airline’s newest aircraft was covered in PIA Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Arrives in Islamabad, and its earlier fleet expansion plans were covered in PIA Fleet Expansion: Four Aircraft From November.

Service quality questioned despite tax relief

Committee member Sahar Kamran questioned PIA’s service standards despite the tax relief available to the airline. She said private airlines were providing better services and operating flights on time, while PIA’s performance remained unsatisfactory. She also expressed concern that the committee had yet to receive the required report on the national carrier.

In response, the Secretary of the Privatization Commission clarified that PIA had received a sales tax exemption only on the purchase of new aircraft. He said the airline had not been granted any other tax exemptions following its privatisation.

That exchange highlights the central tension in PIA’s turnaround. The airline is being asked to compete with private carriers on service and punctuality while operating an ageing fleet, with many aircraft awaiting engines or repairs. Tax relief on new aircraft helps at the margin, but it does not fix the grounded fleet or the service gaps passengers experience.

A committee meeting that struggled to function

The meeting itself illustrated wider problems with parliamentary oversight. Farooq Sattar said some ministries had submitted no answers, with the words “awaiting response” appearing against the relevant questions. Sahar Kamran said documents relating to matters under discussion had only been provided the previous evening.

Kamran further said Parliament and its committees had effectively become inactive, pointing out that the meeting lacked the required quorum and no ruling coalition member was present. Natasha Daultana objected to holding the meeting informally, while Sattar said members were not even participating through Zoom and the committee could not proceed under those circumstances.

Those complaints matter because the committee is one of the few forums where PIA’s management must answer for fleet, service and privatisation plans in public. If ministries do not answer questions and meetings lack a quorum, scrutiny weakens at the moment the airline needs it most.

What happens next

The immediate question is how quickly grounded aircraft can return to service, and whether the second Dreamliner due in January arrives on schedule. Engine availability will decide much of that timetable, and officials gave no firm date for restoring the full fleet.

For passengers, the grounded fleet is a warning to check schedules carefully and allow extra time for connections, even as new routes open. For the government, the committee’s criticism adds pressure to publish the outstanding PIA report and to show that privatisation is producing better service, not simply new announcements.

Frequently asked questions

How many PIA aircraft are grounded?

Officials told the privatisation committee that 16 PIA aircraft are grounded, while 17 or 18 planes are in operation.

How old is PIA’s fleet?

Officials said PIA’s aircraft previously had an average age of 21 to 22 years. Its two newest Dreamliners are between seven and eight years old.

What tax relief has PIA received?

The Privatization Commission secretary said PIA received a sales tax exemption only on the purchase of new aircraft, and no other tax exemptions after privatisation.

When will PIA’s second Dreamliner arrive?

Officials said another Boeing Dreamliner is expected in January, following the first aircraft already received.

When do Karachi-London flights begin?

Officials told the committee that Karachi-London flights are scheduled to begin in March 2027.