Endlessly in turmoil, Pakistan International Airlines has yet again attracted considerable negative attention. While Qatar Airways recently jumped on the bandwagon of marathon flights by claiming the record for longest commercial flight between two points on the globe, Pakistan’s national carrier is busy setting its own set of dubious records. In an absolute disregard for aviation rules, PIA decided to follow the nose of perhaps overcrowded minibuses last week when it boarded as many as seven extra passengers on a flight from Karachi to Madina last week. With no available seating arrangements, these passengers were forced to stand throughout the over three-hour flight; highly vulnerable to the slightest of emergencies in the absence of oxygen masks and even protective seat belts. Although such a critical breach of air safety regulations should have been dealt on an immediate basis, the fact that the authorities have not yet taken any punitive action against those found culpable suggests their apparent disinterest in the bizarre situation. Even more spectacular is the ongoing exchange of blaming statements between the PIA staffers — the pilot, senior purser and traffic staffers — in an effort to shift the responsibility from their shoulders. The grave hazard that the airline posed to over 400 lives in the name of its so-called interests, as has been touted by the flight’s captain, would adversely impact all its future operations; exacerbating its already notorious reputation. Reports of mouldy food, inhospitable — at times, even, rowdy — staff and non-functional in-flight entertainment have markedly contributed towards the airline’s burgeoning losses. In 2013, a PIA pilot was arrested in Britain on a serious offence of attempting to fly over 150 people while under the influence of alcohol. Only last December, another safety failure claimed 48 lives when an aircraft crashed in the north of the country. The consequent animal sacrifices that the PIA ground staff offered as protection from air disasters were heavily criticised as a tantamount of their misgivings. More recently, an alleged bomb scare caused UK fighters to intercept its Manchester-bound airliner; diverting it to an isolated runway. The dismal situation has now reached a point that most of the country’s long-haul passenger traffic is being catered by foreign airlines operating in Pakistan. Despite all that has gone wrong in the past, PIA could still track its way to achieve former glory but only if it learns from its mistakes. There remains no doubt that something definitely needs to be done to build upon how it is being managed at the moment. Tough decisions, which are derived from an unwavering resolve to rid the institute of all evils, would help address its present crises. Whether the government commits itself to the long overdue privatisation of PIA, it is high time that it comes up with an efficient road map with regard to budgetary allocations and performance benchmarks in the meantime. After all, this myriad of economic mismanagement, vindictive politicking and criminal neglect synonymous with PIA cannot be allowed to endanger any more precious lives. *