Karachi (web desk) It has been revealed that hundreds of resignations have been submitted from the national airline ( PIA ) in a few months.
The Secretary General of the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAP) has written a letter to the PIA management, stating that the issue of highly skilled aircraft engineers, officer engineers, and technical experts saying goodbye to the national airline is extremely dangerous.
The letter has pointed out that hundreds of resignations have been submitted in the recent few months, and many other skilled people have decided to leave. Leaving such a large number of people from the national organization can cause a serious shortage of skilled manpower.
The letter, which was sent to the INP news agency, said that these factors are creating serious challenges in maintaining the safety and airworthiness of the air fleet, and the main reason for this trend is the lack of increment in salaries and wages and inadequate benefits since 2016. Salaries and other benefits have not been adjusted to reflect current inflation and taxes.
According to the letter, the compensation offered to these professionals is comparatively far below market standards, with aircraft engineers currently earning about one-tenth of the salaries offered by domestic and international aviation organizations and technicians earning one-twentieth.
The salary of Pakistani aircraft engineers is around Rs 250,000 to 300,000 and that of technicians is around Rs 50,000 to 90,000, while in Gulf countries, the salary of engineers is Rs 2.5 million and that of technicians is Rs 900,000.
The letter said that the following steps are suggested to address this urgent issue, namely, review the salary structure in line with current market standards and inflation, introduce career development opportunities to motivate and retain employees.
Increase benefits to improve the standard of living of technical staff, including housing, medical coverage, eligibility allowances and pensions, and take decisive steps to protect and retain this vital workforce.
Resolving this issue will not only improve PIA’s operational performance, but will also help address upcoming challenges including the resumption of operations in Europe and the UK.