The PIA burden

It was shocking to read in the newspapers that the Senate Committee on Aviation supported those recently sacked by PIA for submitting fake degrees and others involved in numerous gross irregularities, indiscipline. PIA has become a white elephant and a burden on the national exchequer, instead of becoming a revenue-generating, profitable airline it could be. Its total accumulated losses exceed Rs400 billion and it is surviving on state bailouts. In a country where millions are living below the poverty line, such continuous bleeding of state-owned enterprises cannot be justified.

Drastic changes need to be incorporated and billions can be saved by shifting the airline head-office, saving on positioning aircraft to northern hubs where 80 percent of revenue passengers are located. The British Airways which suspended operations to Pakistan has announced that it will resume flights to Islamabad. Similarly other foreign airlines which once preferred Karachi as their favourite transit stopover no longer desire to do so, on pure commercial grounds. It is the passenger and cargo load availability alone which dictates the choice of airport for commercial airlines. PIA either has to shut down or take drastic steps to reduce operating cost and attract back its lost clientele. However, the Senate should be more concerned about the professional competence and aviation experience of the new management.

Ali Malik

Lahore