KARACHI: Turkmenistan has given Pakistan International Airline (PIA) a notice to clear all debts for using the country's airspace for international flights by November 3.

Turkmenistan's government has alleged that Pakistan's national carrier has been using its airspace and has not made a payment in this regard for months.

PIA uses Turkmenistan's airspace for flights to Canada and European countries as the route saves both fuel and time.

Also read: Saudi Arabia warns PIA of halting flights over unpaid dues

The national carrier is in a restructuring phase after the government announced in September last year that 26 per cent of its shares would be privatised. Disinvestment of the airline, the government believes, is the only way of saving it from total extinction.

The government had already injected by April this year Rs11.75bn as equity and planned to invest more to keep PIA flying.

Moreover, in September, Pakistan's privatisaion czar Mohammad Zubair said the government planned to split the ailing national flag carrier into two companies and sell control of the core business to a global airline over the next 18 months.