The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has issued a strong warning to Serene Air, urging the airline to resume operations of its grounded aircraft or risk facing sanctions, including a suspension of international flights.

Currently, four out of Serene Air’s seven aircraft are non-operational, leading to significant disruptions in flight schedules and passenger inconvenience.

PCAA Director General Nadir Shafi Dar confirmed that the airline received a show-cause notice and was instructed to revise its domestic flight schedule due to the reduced number of operational aircraft. He noted that an increase in passenger complaints regarding flight disruptions prompted the PCAA’s intervention. During a recent meeting with Serene Air’s management, the authority urged the airline’s CEO to ensure that the grounded aircraft return to service within the month.

In response to inquiries about potential sanctions, Dar stated, “Yes, we will consider suspending Serene Air’s international operations if the grounded aircraft are not made operational this month.” However, Serene Air’s CEO, AVM Muhammad Safdar Khan (Retd), claimed he had not received any show-cause notice from the PCAA. He acknowledged a meeting with the Director General on October 23, 2024, where he explained that the grounding of four aircraft was due to engine issues, which he described as beyond the airline’s control.

Khan revealed that maintenance workshops for Boeing 737 engines are currently experiencing significant backlogs, with delays exceeding two months. He mentioned that the airline has sent four engines to Finland and expects one aircraft to resume operations shortly. Khan expressed optimism that Serene Air would achieve full operational capacity within the next three months.

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Despite these challenges, he outlined ambitious expansion plans for the airline, including the addition of wide-body aircraft over the next three to five years. He also highlighted that Serene Air was the only regional airline to avoid layoffs during the post-Covifinancial crisis. Meanwhile, DG PCAA reiterated that failure to comply with directives could lead to serious regulatory actions, particularly following the recent restructuring of the PCAA into three separate entities.