Pakistan's pilot strike grounds more planes

By ASHRAF KHAN Associated Press

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - A pilot strike that entered its second day Wednesday has grounded more than two dozen flights and stranded thousands of passengers traveling on Pakistan's state-owned airline, a spokesman said.

A group of pilots and support staff for Pakistan International Airlines initiated the strike because they are unhappy about a proposed route-sharing deal with Turkish Airlines. In Karachi on Tuesday, some employees scuffled with colleagues who opposed the strike.

PIA bosses say the route-sharing idea could raise money for the struggling carrier, which has been posting multimillion dollar losses for years because of bad management and competition from Gulf airlines.

But some of the airline's 20,000 employees fear it will lead to job or pay cuts, though management denies this.

PIA spokesman Mashhood Tajwar says the strike has led to the cancellation of around 30 domestic and international flights and has affected some 5,000 passengers.

"We are deeply concerned because of this situation and we are doing whatever is possible to resolve the issue," he said.

Sohail Baloch, president of the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association, said neither the government nor PIA management has invited them to discuss the disagreement.

"Our protest will continue until management declares its agreement with the Turkish Air null and void and all the employees who have been suspended are reinstated," said Baloch.

Carriers around the world have increasingly struck route-sharing deals to tap new markets without investing in extra planes and staff.

The Pakistani government is struggling to shore up the country's economy, which is already subsisting on billions in loans from the International Monetary Fund. Subsidizing PIA and other loss making state-run businesses eats up a significant chunk of the government budget each year.