Daily Times

The national flag carrier Pakistan International Airline has been facing Rs4 billion in monthly revenue losses along with Rs1.5 billion in average interest payment monthly- however, due to drastic changes the airline was being drifted to the right track.

This was expressed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PIA Air Marshall Arshad Malik while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) held yesterday in parliament house under Senator Mushahidullah Khan. Briefing the committee, the CEO said that the total loss to the PIA was Rs414.3 billion. He demanded the government to reduce taxes on domestic and international flights which correspond to 32.5% and 29.86% respectively.

Those employees who committed fraud in presenting fake degrees should not be spared because it was not allowed anywhere in the world. However, the chairman of the committee was rather soft over fake degree holders and asked the top management of PIA not to carry out dismissal. Mushahidullah Khan advised to take the employees into confidence to restore the lost glory of the PIA.

Air Marshall Arshad Malik told the committee that there were clear instructions of Islamabad High Court to remove those who possessed fake documents. There would be no harassment in the department but those who committed fraud would not be spared, said the CEO. When asked, who runs the affairs of PIA, the CEO of airline said that the Board of Directors of PIA runs the affairs through him. About the deputation of officials from Air Force to PIA, the CEO said that seven officials via establishment division were posted.

Federal Minister for CAA Mohammad Mian Somoro said that those officials were withdrawing their salaries from the Air Force. Senator Faisal Javed was of the view that services of air force were taken for bringing improvement in PIA. However, senators Sherry Rehman and Maula Bakhsh Chandyo said proper procedure should be followed for hiring the Air Force officials in PIA.

About the Collective Bargaining Agents (CBA), the Air Marshall said they were involved issuing bogus cards; they occupied 36 offices of which eight were vacated. The union also occupied several official vehicles. About the previous management of PIA, the Air Marshall said no record was provided by them nor they cooperated in any matter for putting PIA in right path.

The committee asked the CEO PIA to provide list of those employees who posses fake degrees and also of those who appointed such bogus employees.

The CEO informed the committee that some pilots were rehired with the age relaxation for 65 years to run the 777 and ATRs airlines. He also informed the committee that one 777 airline, which was grounded was recovered and would be made functional. While work on the other was underway. For the betterment of PIA, some loss making routes were suspended to avoid additional losses of Rs500 million. He also rejected the perception that PIA gave some of its routes to other private airlines. The management was also in contact to re-negotiate the lease agreement of ARTs contract.

The management had taken several measures to improve the performance of PIA, including training of cabin crew, adding ten more airlines, re-initiating pilot training and promotion, recovering several PIA properties and enforcing renewed management discipline. Still a lot of loopholes exist but he assured that PIA would soon become a profitable organization.

Published in Daily Times, February 13^th 2019.