57 replies to this topic

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

We have all different stories experiences and moments in our lives where we can either smile or swear at the incompetent management of PIA.

Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines are expanding more flights after theyve found out Pakistanis want to travel with them instead of PIA.

Why shouldnt they as the service and compensation is far better, or billion times better.
E.g. A friend of mine travelled with Turkish Airlines, when he landed in Istanbul he was told the flight was overbooked and he couldnt come along.
But since his ticket was booked long time ago and Turkish Airlines acknowlegded it was their fault, so he got compensation of 600 Euros!
And a overnight spending at a five star hotel, so he could take the next flight to Islamabad the very next at Turkish Airlines' costs!

I mean, if it was PIA then the service wouldnt exist but instead a big grin and so-what-cold-shoulder would be the answer whenever a PIA flight is delayed or cancelled.

Just like when recently an outbound flight from London to Islamabad or Lahore was delayed for nearly 92 hours!
Passengers didnt get any information and service. Even any compensation!

PIA has been raped by corrupt ministers, managers, officials... For how long time can the self denial of carrying on with the bad service.

As the outcome has become clearly now, Pakistanis are seeking towards other airlines who offer cheaper fares, better service and compensation policies, and fully follow them UNLIKE PIA!
And PIA's former customers are paying to other airline companies that are competetors to PIA.

The miserable depressive and idiotic loser are the people who manage, run, finance and own PIA.

Not only that but e.g. spareparts, parts and components sitting on an airplane owned by PIA are being ripped off to sell them to earn money.
And the management has no clue of whats going on, just like recently when a Boeing 777 ER had removed its million worth of jetengines, radar and nose.
No one knew where they were.

As passengers, we have eaten, chewed and swallon the food offered by PIA.
either its too hot, cold or not even on board as many planes have flown back to collect food.

Another issue is, training and updating staff workers, who end up with all the trouble when the flight is delayed, cancelled or due to maintainance issues with the airplanes.
The staff workers have either bad and rude behaviour or are very nice and gentle.

Too many sifarishis are working inside PIA, no one knows how to run an organization.

Peace

[Krad]

One word: privatisation.

[Skull-Buster]

I agree with the depreciating standards of PIA, but since you mentioned Turkish Airlines, well my experience has not been pleasant flying with them also. Its not the airline to be exact, its the baggage handling at Istanbul airport. Once my I got my bag with its locks broken (there were just clothes inside so nothing was missing). On 2 occasions I had relatives who reached Islamabad but their baggage remained back in Istanbul. I even know a man who died and his family flew with the dead body to Islamabad via Istanbul. The family reached Islamabad shocked to find that the airline forgot the dead body in Istanbul.

[Felicius]

I flew Turkish and they didn't have an English speaking staff onboard. The passenger next to me was kind enough to translate it for me. In-fact she told the head purser that it was ridiculous not to have an English speaking staff at all.

 

I usually go for the points and always travel PIA. I have already been rewarded 3 free tickets and one more flight to Pakistan will get me a 4rth. The only reason I flew Turkish was they were offering a free night stay in Istanbul (both ways) and I got to see Turkey.

 

Leg space on Emirates and Eitehad economy are horrible. Business class is the best in PIA.

 

Going to Pakistan and travelling via any Gulf state, specially Dubai, you will have a horrible time with Pakistan customs. PIA gets me to Karachi in under 14 hours, why will I even bother with another airline?

 

Honestly, I love PIA.

Edited by Felicius, 13 January 2014 - 04:55 PM.

[Tipu-786]

I always Enjoy PIA  going to Pakistan Straight Flight , and to be honest get the best service  and food is good and u can ask for more no issue at all,  beside some passengers (few only) when they step into National airline  doesnt matter they have live abroad for 20 years  for some reason they start acting same jahil ways as they are never been out of Pakistan and they learned nothing .  

all the aircrafts Bound for North America and i believe for europe also are from the newest fleet .

[clutch]

Privatize the airline...

[Felicius]

PIA can't be privatized, the Govt. may be trying to do it. it's a huge set-up, compared to Pan Am, PIA is a conglomerate.

No stakeholders wants to take on the aircraft liabilities, go to court with the unions (pilots, flight crew, ground staff, engineering ...), the large hotels in NY and Paris. Employees, equipment, routes, assets. Then comes the political union within, including PPP's.

 

They can't fire old staff to hire new staff to do the same work, it's illegal; hence they have to retain old staff and they will ground the fleet with go slows.

 

Zardari tried his best and then he shook hands with them.

[Felicius]

Either A-320/330 or B-737 - http://www.dawn.com/...ire-10-aircraft

 

 

PIA to acquire 10 aircraft

THE NEWSPAPER'S STAFF REPORTER

 

LAHORE: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will invite tenders next week to acquire 10 narrow-body planes on dry lease.

 

Officials told Dawn on Monday that the national carrier has finalised a plan to acquire 10 narrow-body aircraft and the process would be completed by this Sept/Oct.

 

The airline is in dire need of planes. Of its 34 planes, nine have been grounded.

 

The PIA had acquired four aircraft on wet lease (Turkish and Czech Republic airlines) that would be replaced with three on dry lease in this July.

 

Special assistant to the prime minister on aviation Shujaat Azeem said that the addition of 10 fuel efficient narrow body aircraft will help improve the financial health of the national flag carrier.

 

Besides, they will help phasing out the old aircraft and compete with foreign airlines and restoration of old routes where PIA flights suspended due shortage of fleet.

 

“The revival of the PIA is the top priority of the government and efforts are being made to turn it around as early as possible,” he said, making it clear there would be “no lay-offs”.

 

“The fear of lay-offs in PIA is based on rumors. The government is aware of the economic issues and it is not in favour of lay-offs in PIA. The employees are its assets their contribution is needed to steer the airline out of the financial crunch,” he said.

 

Mr Azeem said that he would meet with all the unions and associations for their contribution towards the betterment of airline and said: “With their help we will achieve our objectives. We believe in consultation and not confrontation.”

 

He assured that there would be no political interference in the smooth functioning of the airlines besides the management would observe zero tolerance for corruption.

 

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of PIA Employees has welcomed Azeem’s appointment. The committee’s convener Suhail Baluch said the aviation sector should be run on professional lines.

[Felicius]

^ PIA is going for B-737 NG.

 

 

http://www.dawn.com/...red-before-sale

 

PIA to be restructured before sale

AMIN AHMED

 

The government plans to privatise 26 per cent of PIA’s shares to strategic investors by the end of December as committed to the IMF which is lending Pakistan $6.7 billion over a period of three years under an economic programme. — File photo

 

ISLAMABAD: Ahead of privatisation, restructuring of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has begun and the national flag carrier will be privatised in phases, according to Privatisation Commission Chairman Mohammad Zubair.

 

Talking to a select group of journalists, he said that flight operations would be privatised in the first phase, followed by sale of airport handling, kitchen and other services.

 

Subsidiaries will be created for each phase.In the present state, no one would come forward to buy and run the PIA, according to Mr Zubair who recently visited PIA headquarters in Karachi and discussed the restructuring process with the management.

 

The government plans to privatise 26 per cent of PIA’s shares to strategic investors by the end of December as committed to the IMF which is lending Pakistan $6.7 billion over a period of three years under an economic programme.

 

About the timeline of privatisation assured to the IMF, he said that in case of a delay in completion of the privatisation, the government would inform the lending agency about difficulties it was facing.

 

Though the government was hopeful that the transactions would be completed in 18 months, he said, process for some of the entities already approved by the commission’s board would be completed earlier than the scheduled time.

 

This is the most ambitious privatisation process in the country which has been put on fast track since December last year.

 

Mr Zubair said that privatisation process would be transparent and the government wanted all stakeholders, including politicians and employees, to take on board while taking hard decisions.

 

Despite stiff opposition, 2014 will see serious efforts in this regard.

 

The commission would try to add Rs150 billion to the national exchequer by June this year from the privatisation proceeds as desired by the finance ministry, he said.

 

Rejecting rumours and criticism, he said that the privatisation process would not be ‘person-oriented’.

 

The official said that transaction committees were being formed for those public sector entities whose privatisation had been approved by the board.

 

The committees will comprise board members and representatives of ministries concerned, regulators and the commission.

 

Mr Zubair said that a meeting of the board would be held in two weeks to discus privatisation of the Lahore Electric Supply Company, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company and Kot Addu Power Company.

 

About the release of $800 million by Etisalat against the privatisation of the PTCL, he said that positive results would soon come out of efforts being made by the government. He blamed the previous governments for not taking serious measures for the recovery of the amount.

[Felicius]

http://www.dawn.com/...or-pias-revival

 

PM approves plan for PIA’s revival

IFTIKHAR A. KHAN

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has approved in principle a plan for revival of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), aimed at bringing the national flag-carrier, currently running in losses of billions of rupees, to a break-even level within a year, by increasing revenue and taking cost-cutting measures.

 

Under the plan, 20 new generation, narrow-bodied and fuel-efficient planes will be inducted into the fleet with Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 as the preferred options, besides getting four Boeing 777 and then same number of ATR 72-500 aircraft on ‘dry lease’.

 

The decision comes at a time when all eyes are on the proposed privatisation of PIA.

 

The government has given a written assurance to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that 26 per cent shares of PIA will be sold by the end of this year.

 

An official, when asked if the decision to invest heavily in PIA meant a shift in the plan to privatise the state owned airline, said the restructuring and privatisation could go together.

 

Chairing a meeting held on Sunday to review the reform and restructuring plan, including strategic partnerships, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that over the years, mismanagement and structural inefficiencies in the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) had marred public sector governance.

 

“Continuous injection of resources into the SOEs is fiscally not sustainable on an indefinite basis and the most viable option available is to structure them through strategic partnership with the private sector after 26pc off-loading of shares,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Aviation Shujaat Azim told reporters after the meeting that three planes had been obtained on lease, while tenders for getting 10 narrow-bodied aircraft had been floated and the bids were to be opened on March 7. He said that subsequently another seven planes would be inducted.

 

He said induction of new planes into the fleet was expected to generate annual revenue of Rs72 billion at 85pc seat factor and 12.5-hour utilisation per day.

 

He said there were 34 aircraft in PIA’s fleet, of which 24 were operational. The fleet includes seven 26-year-old Boeing 747 and 737 and 12 20-year-old Airbus A310 planes. The average fleet age comes to around 17 years.

 

Mr Azim pointed out that the average fleet life of international airlines was less than 10 years.

 

Selling the four Boeing 747 and 12 Airbus aircraft after induction of the new fleet is also part of the plan.

 

He said the present fleet was geared for medium- and long-haul routes while 62pc passengers travelled on short routes. Induction of suitable aircraft can considerably cut the fuel cost.

 

He said wrong use of 777 aircraft on short sectors due to non-availability of short-haul planes also incurred a high cost on engine overhaul which was based on flight cycles. An engine overhaul costs $8 million.

 

The special assistant said the turnaround strategy also involved restructuring of the airline and creation of strategic business units.

 

Of the PIA passengers, 16pc travel on long routes, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Europe. The medium routes used by 22 pc passengers include Saudi Arabia and the Far East. The bulk of the traffic goes to and from the Gulf, regional countries and on domestic routes.

 

Mr Azim said the fuel cost for old A310 came to $5,500 per hour, while the new 737 900ER would consume fuel worth $2,500 to $2,600.After the fresh induction into its fleet, the PIA plans to use 777 aircraft for long haul routes, A320-232 on medium haul routes and A320, 737NG and ATR for domestic, gulf and regional routes.

 

Giving details of other steps being taken to reduce losses, he said aircraft parts’ procurement would be made only from original equipment manufacturers, all off-line stations were being closed, performance of all general sales agents was being reviewed and the practice of free seat upgrades and excess baggage had been stopped.

 

With 19,418 employees, PIA has one of the highest employee-aircraft ratio in the world of 776. The average ratio worldwide is around 150.

 

When asked about reports that over 35 PIA employees were drawing salary of over Rs1 million per month, Mr Azim said the government had decided to go for a performance audit of the airline through international firms and shun favouritism and nepotism.

 

He said all the perks and privileges, including free trips, of present and past board members and their families and the chairman had been stopped. “Gone are the days when they used to enjoy free tickets and free stay at PIA hotels abroad.”

 

He said the prime minister had approved a plan to expand Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.

 

It has been decided to increase the number of counters at the departure lounges of the Lahore and Islamabad airports and introduce a passenger-friendly immigration system.

 

He said there was no plan to relocate the new Islamabad airport from Fateh Jang to Rawat. “Around Rs69 billion has already been spent on the new airport.”

 

He said the prime minister had ordered that a passage to the new airport should be provided directly from the motorway and not through private housing societies.

 

Since the new airport will be completed by the end of 2016, the Benazir International Airport will be upgraded. A taxiway will be ready in a couple of months by linking the additional runway with the main one. The kiosks inside the main lounges will be moved out of the building.

 

At the Karachi airport, the Civil Aviation Authority has served notices to all airlines to remove their junk by the end of this month and clear the space.

 

He said the prime minister would announce a national aviation policy in April and a conference of international experts would be held in Islamabad this month.

 

He indicated that there would be a change in the rules for getting a licence for airline operations.

[Metanoia]

PIA opens bids for acquisition of 10 aircraft

 

 

KARACHI: The bids for acquisition of 10 narrow body aircraft for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were opened in the presence of the media on Friday.

 

Talking to the media before the bids opening, Chairman PIA Muhammad Ali Gardezi said that the bids were received and opened in presence of media persons for the first time in the history of PIA to keep the process transparent.

 

The bidding parties included M/s Qatar Aviation Lease Company and M/s KL Aero parts.

 

The aircraft offered included Airbus A320 aircraft and Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The bidders have committed delivery by last week of July 2014.

 

The bid offer of M/s. Qatar Aviation Lease Company included eight A320 Aircraft. Four aircraft with year of manufacturing as 2011 and four with year of manufacturing as 2012.

 

The second bid offer received was of M/s. KL Aero Parts for ten A320 and ten 737-800 aircraft with year of manufacturing of 2014.

 

The bids will be evaluated within three to four days and posted on PPRA website. After conducting the evaluation process within next 10 days, the recommendations will be forwarded to the PIA board of directors for approval followed by issuance of letter of intent to the selected bidder.

 

The financing of these aircraft will be done by PIA’s own resources and partially with the help of the government.

 

Chairman PIA said that the aircraft acquisition was approved by ECC and PIA board of directors.

 

He said that as part of revival plan, Pakistan International Airlines is acquiring the latest model fuel efficient aircraft in line with the vision and guidance of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation, Shujaat Azeem.

 

With the induction of fuel efficient narrow body new generation aircraft, PIA will be in a better position to improve its sales and provide better service to its customers. The airline is also emphasising on cost reduction.

 

PIA Managing Director Muhammad Juniad Yunus, Director Corporate Planning PIA Shahnawaz Rehman, Director Engineering Saminuddin Naqvi, Director Flight Operations Captain Qasim Hayat, PIA Board member Aslam Khalique and other PIA officials were present during the opening of the bids. —APP

[Felicius]

PIA Safety Rating 6/7 -  http://www.airlinera...tional-airlines

 

Fatality free since 2006 - Endorsed by FAA.

There are other airlines on the chart who are 6 as well, but not endorsed by FAA http://www.airlinera...per_airline.php

[Metanoia]

PIA finds no serious bidder for obtaining aircraft on dry lease

 

 

KARACHI: Bidders showed little interest in tenders floated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to obtain aircraft on dry lease as none of the five could meet the conditions prescribed by the national flag carrier when bids were opened on Friday.

 

The bids were opened in the presence of media personnel and PIA Chairman Mohammad Ali Gardezi and Managing Director Junaid Yunus at the PIA head office.

 

PIA had floated the tenders for obtaining eight aircraft — four wide-bodied with 390-plus seating capacity and four smaller ones having 50-plus seating capacity — on a six-year dry lease. The delivery of the aircraft had to start from July, 2014.

 

Five companies — Dubai Aerospace, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of China, Aircraft Leasing Corporation and D.V. Bank — had submitted the bids. Some companies offered Boeing 777s while others ATRs.

 

None of the bidders met the conditions as some were offering old aircraft — as old models as 1999 — while others were not able to deliver the aircraft within the prescribed time and offering to make the delivery in 2015 and 2016 or even later.

 

Responding to media queries about PIA finances, Mr Gardezi said that monthly expenditure of the airline was around Rs13 billion while it was earning between Rs9bn and Rs9.5bn a month.

 

To a question, Mr Yunus said PIA was making efforts to upgrade its engineering facilities so that not only it could maintain its aircraft but could also offer its services to other airlines and earn revenue.

[Metanoia]

PIA grounds five planes for lack of spare parts

 

 

ISLAMABAD: Five aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) fleet have been grounded because of the breakdown of supply chain of spare parts, according to inside sources.

 

Of the five aircraft, two are Boeing-777s which are considered the main source of revenue generation. They were grounded two weeks ago and since then the national flag carrier has been suffering a daily loss of over Rs70 million to Rs80m.

 

The PIA has a total of nine Boeing-777s and one Boeing-777 earns Rs 30m to Rs 40m per day.

 

According to a letter sent to the PIA chairman by Director of Flight Operations Capt Qasim Hayyat, two Boeing-777s and one each Boeing-747, Boeing-737 and A-310 had been grounded because of non-availability of spare parts.

 

The letter said that with the shortage of five aircraft the schedule was being maintained with difficulty and delays were causing inconvenience to passengers and tarnishing the reputation of the PIA.

 

“Situation has reached such a stage that soon the PIA shall have to curtail its operations to a great extent,” the letter said, adding that flights to India, Bangladesh and Nepal might be cancelled.

 

Capt Hayyat told Dawn that the unexpected grounding of two Boeing-777s had worsened the situation.

 

But, he added, things were improving and it was hoped that the flight schedule would stabilise soon.

 

PIA spokesman Mashhood Tajwar said it had been decided by the board of directors that spare parts would be purchased directly from manufacturing companies and not from their distributors, adding that sometimes the companies delayed delivery of parts.

 

He, however, said that the aircraft had not been grounded but their operation had been suspended because of routine check-up.

[Metanoia]

Herald Exclusive: Plane Truths

 

 

When Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) began its operation in 1955 by taking over Orient Airlines with 13 airplanes, nobody could have foreseen a successful future for the national flag carrier. From such humble beginnings, PIA became one of the most sought-after airlines in the world within years. A few months after it started, PIA flew its first international flight to London via Cairo and Rome and when (then) Air Commodore Nur Khan took charge of the airline in 1959, the sky literally was the limit. With historic firsts and milestones to its credit, such as being the first Asian airline to acquire a jet aircraft, a Boeing 707, opening new routes and providing top customer experience, PIA was truly a great airline to fly with.

 

This is a clichéd, but necessary, preamble to every story attempting to investigate what malaise has afflicted the airline — once the pride of the nation but now, known more as a money-bleeding, scorn-inducing white elephant, apparently destined to fade out from the skies.

 

The latest data of the airline’s financial status is anything but satisfactory. Its annual report for the year 2012 shows it to be in the red by 33 billion rupees (this loss was 26 billion rupees in 2011). During the first nine months of 2013, it incurred losses to the tune of 31.94 billion rupees. With only 25 serviceable planes out of a fleet of 34, PIA perhaps has the highest employee per plane ratio — standing at a staggering 780 employees per plane. Compared to this, Emirates, with a fleet of 212 aircrafts, has employee-plane ratio of 220 to one. For Turkish Airlines, another important regional carrier with 236 planes, it is far lower — at 81 employees per plane. Throw in the liabilities ledger and the situation looks even worse: PIA’s current liabilities stand at 192 billion rupees, according to the airline’s third quarterly report for 2013.

 

To understand the dismal state of affairs at PIA, some clues may be found in what was going on at the organisation at the turn of the century. Among other things, the introduction of an open sky policy by the government in the early 2000s could easily be seen as the beginning of a process that contributed significantly to the national carrier's fall from greatness, according to Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed, a former PIA chairman. This policy ended PIA's monopoly over the national skies and allowed Gulf-based airlines to invade the local market, he says. They took away PIA's market share and revenue, he adds.

 

The irony is that PIA was earning a profit in the first few years – from 2002 to 2004 – after the introduction of the open sky policy. Saeed was its chairman at the time. He could have done a few other things right in order to run PIA as a profitable enterprise. Insiders say what helped Saeed the most was the unstinting support he received from General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who was ruling the country then. The Musharraf government suspended the workers’ union in PIA, pumped 20 billion rupees into it and approved plans to purchase nine Boeing 777 jets and six Airbus A310 planes.

 

After his departure in April 2005, the airline’s performance nosedived once again, resulting in back-to-back losses in subsequent years. It was also soon after he left PIA that one of its Fokker planes crashed in Multan, killing all 45 on board. This led to a ban on all Fokker flights.

 

Further misery arrived in the shape of a ban imposed by the European Union in June 2006 on PIA’s Airbus fleet. The planes were barred from operating on European routes for failing to meet necessary safety criteria. The ban was lifted in November, 2007, but the damage had already been done. The annual report that came out a month later showed stark numbers: PIA’s annual losses had swelled to 13 billion rupees, a jump of 188 per cent in just two years after Saeed’s departure.

 

After winning the general elections in 2008, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) decided to bring the PIA’s house in order. The PPP government, for the first time in PIA’s history, chose a serving pilot, Captain Aijaz Haroon, as the managing director of the corporation. Haroon’s appointment, which initially raised eyebrows, considering his close ties with the then PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, became the subject of more controversy when the year-end numbers were compiled. The airline’s losses ballooned to 39.73 billion rupees at the end of 2008 — its worst performance ever.

 

Haroon, however, says the reasons behind such drastic increase in the losses were beyond his control. “Nobody could do anything about the rise in fuel price or the depreciation of the rupee, both of which happened simultaneously in 2008, causing an exponential increase in PIA’s losses,” he tells the Herald.

 

Since October, 2012, another serving pilot, Captain Junaid Yunus, has taken over as managing director. The airline, meanwhile, has continued to be a gigantic burden on the national exchequer. In the year 2012, it posted a loss of 33 billion rupees and its current liabilities stood at 166 billion rupees at the end of that year.

 

Numbers support his argument. In 2007, fuel and oil cost PIA 30.32 billion rupees, indeed showing a decrease from the year before. Due to the global upheaval in oil prices, the average per barrel oil price increased from 72 rupees in 2007 to 97 rupees in 2008; this resulted in PIA spending 45.84 billion rupees on fuel and oil, a jump by 51 per cent. Furthermore, as Haroon points out, the value of the Pakistani rupee depreciated considerably in the same period – from 60.82 rupees for one US dollar to 70.80 rupees per US dollar – necessitating more money to service debts in foreign currencies.

 

Haroon, however, was able to pull back losses considerably within a couple of years. The annual report for 2010 shows PIA making an annual operating profit of 720 million rupees, a first in five years. The airline, though, was still running in loss due to the money it required for debt-servicing and other non-operating costs.

 

Soon, his success was drowned in the din of another controversy. A route sharing deal that Haroon proposed with Turkish Airlines, proved to be his Waterloo. He had already riled members of the powerful Pakistan Airlines Pilot Association (Palpa) on many occasions, for example, with his strict instructions against delaying flights. As one senior PIA pilot, the captain of a Boeing 777, explains, “Aijaz Haroon was a smart and shrewd operator but lacked diplomatic skills.” The pilot further adds that Haroon was “proactive but unpopular because he overdid a few things” in his eagerness to put the airline back on track.

 

As soon as news of his negotiations with his Turkish counterparts became known, Palpa started a four-day-long go-slow in January, 2011, claiming that the route sharing agreement was akin to route selling. “We couldn’t afford to have PIA’s traditional routes shut down due to one man’s whims,” says a Palpa member, who actively participated in the protest.

 

The strike led to Haroon’s resignation. The government, then, appointed Captain Nadeem Yousufzai, another pilot, as the new managing director. He lasted only a year, leaving behind a trail of controversial deals, among them a contract for the supply of spare parts for 700 million dollars to a single vendor, Transworld Aviation. Many in PIA say that the money involved was far higher than the airline’s requirements.

 

Mashood Tajwar, the PIA spokesperson, refuses to comment on the merits or demerits of the contract, saying the “matter is subjudice” — a case is being heard about it in a court of law. “As of now, however, there is no deal for spare parts with any third-party vendors. We only have deals with original equipment manufacturers,” he tells the Herald.

 

The third quarterly report for 2013, showing updated data for the first nine months of the previous year, is even gloomier: the losses stand at 31.5 billion rupees and liabilities at 192 billion rupees.

 

Many critics of the airline say it cannot be profitable without shedding a few thousand staff members. Though there has been a ban on new hiring for the last two years, the total PIA staff stands at approximately 19,500 (out of this, 3,000 are contractual and daily-wage staff who do not receive the perks and privileges enjoyed by the regular staff).

 

Paying salaries and providing other perks to such a huge staff is a burden that the airline, with its depleting fleet and decreasing earnings, cannot pay without incurring further losses and liabilities. In the face of such disconcerting data, the PIA management betrays a sense of false bravado when asked about the prospects of the airline. Tajwar, for instance, emphasises that the airline has begun to turn the corner. “Since the formation of the Aviation Division (a separate administrative department in the federal government), the PIA management is working closely with the government in order to revive the airline,” he says.

 

When the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz government took over in May, 2013, one of the first the steps it took was to create an Aviation Division to look after PIA, the Civil Aviation Association and the Airport Security Force, all under the defence ministry until then.

 

As proof of imminent change in the organisation’s fortunes, Tajwar points to some additional planes that have been inducted since the middle of the last year. “We advertised for the wet lease of four airplanes in August, 2013, and since their delivery last November, the company has been able to produce positive results,” he says. “We have improved our schedule integrity (operating flights on time) to 97 per cent and our seat factor (seat occupancy) is now at 76 per cent.” Yunus, too, is happy with the results. The airline has earned 9.5 billion rupees in the first month of 2014 alone, he says.

 

In January this year, the airline released an advertisement inviting bids for eight narrow body aircraft, also on wet lease. One month later, more bids were invited for 10 narrow body planes, four wide body planes and four ATR Turboprops on dry lease. One PIA official, in a wave of exuberance, claims to the Herald that the airline will easily register a profit at the end of 2014 if the planes being leased are delivered as per schedule. The management insists that it will resume flights on all suspended routes as well as increase the frequency of flights on profitable routes, once fleet targets are met.

 

Aviation experts and PIA insiders are unanimous that, in order to drag the airline out of the doldrums, the first and foremost requirement is to induct a new generation of fuel efficient, modern aircraft. But the problem here lies with the lease deals that the PIA is embarking on.

 

A ‘wet lease’ is an agreement that takes place between one airline (which provides aircraft, crew, management and insurance) and another (which offers routes to fly on). Such a lease lasts not more than two to four months and the money involved is calculated on the basis of flying hours. Such rates may vary between 2,500 US dollars to 3,000 US dollars per flying hour. A ‘dry lease’, on the other hand involves leasing agencies which lease aircraft to the airline. The cost per plane, depending on the type and age of the plane, can be around two million dollars a year. A dry lease deal usually lasts five to six years.

 

While details about the duration of the wet lease deals being offered by PIA are not available, Tajwar believes these will greatly help the airline produce positive results in the short term. “At 56 per cent of all our expenses, fuel expense eats the largest chunk of our revenue. If we get newer aircrafts which are far more economical in terms of fuel usage, this can help us bring down our fuel expense by six to eight per cent,” he says. Wet-leased planes will also help engineering expenses drop from 12 per cent to eight per cent, he adds.

 

One serving PIA pilot with over 30 years of experience, however, does not see wet lease as a good solution. “Wet lease is adopted by those airlines which don’t have any system or structure,” he says. Why did PIA get planes on such a lease when it has both, he asks.

 

But Tajwar defends these deals. “Airlines the world over now rely on leasing planes instead of buying them,” he says, “This allows them to recover money quickly and, once the lease is over, they can always get a fresh batch of aircraft on a new lease.” While most of these deals are yet to take effect, there are news reports on an almost daily basis about the privatisation of PIA. It was in September, 2013 that the government decided in principle to partially privatise the national carrier, selling 26 per cent of its shares, and to privatise its management.

 

The airline management, on the other hand, continues to deny the news. “There will be no privatisation, only restructuring,” says Tajwar. When the Herald contacted Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Aviation Shujaat Azeem, to learn his position on the subject of PIA’s privatisation, his staff officer Sher Ali Khan responded by emphasising that there would be no privatisation. “The company right now needs acquisition of new generation, fuel efficient aircraft. We don’t have any plans to privatise it or lay off any employee,” Khan said.

 

New planes, however, cannot resolve PIA’s management problems. The airline is a top-heavy organisation, with over 11 directors, 40 general managers, and over 300 deputy general managers, all of whom cost huge amounts of money in their salaries and perks and privileges, making it a difficult task to justify why the PIA should continue getting bailout packages at the taxpayers’ expense.

 

Last year in September, Muhammad Ali Gardezi, who holds the office of PIA chairman by virtue of being Federal Secretary Aviation Division, set up what he called a Way Forward Committee, to look into management-related problems with the airline. Captain Suhail Baloch, who was Palpa’s president until recently, was made head of the committee, which has the mandate to make recommendations to improve the performance of the airline. The committee has been given a free hand to not just recommend but also implement the required changes.

 

For Baloch, it is an opportunity to serve the airline better. “We made a presentation to the chairman in September, 2013, and, being a proactive decision-taker, he asked us to be part of the committee. Our mandate is solely to highlight the problems and recommend improvements, not run as a parallel management body,” he says.

 

One of PIA’s senior most pilots, who also held a senior management position, is shocked at the development. “Who is truly calling the shots at PIA?” he asks. “You have some extravagantly-paid professional managers in the organisation, who are overruled by eight hand-picked members of the committee, none of whom are trained as managers. Where in the world does this happen?”

 

The management, meanwhile, seems comfortable with the committee’s involvement in operational decisions. Officials in the management, in fact, say that the committee’s recommendations, such as the Fly Smart programme for fuel conservation, have helped cut some costs. Sher Ali Khan, staff officer to special adviser Azeem, says that the committee’s involvement is an encouraging sign that employees are willing to participate in the improvement of PIA and are ready to own their responsibilities in this regard.

 

A recent development, however, may throw a spanner in the working of the committee. Baloch lost the Palpa elections, held last month. When asked about the future of the committee and his role in it, he says, “I spoke to the chairman and asked about giving the committee an official capacity so that it can continue its good work.” This may not be acceptable to others in the organisation, especially those who have defeated him in the Palpa election.

 

“Pilots are an extremely valuable commodity and ideally we prefer if they are not part of the management,” says Aamir Hashmi, the recently elected Palpa chairman. “If a pilot still wants to be part of the management, he can do so with Palpa’s consent only and maintain strict professionalism.”

 

Secondly, in an official capacity that Baloch is looking to demand for the committee, it runs the risk of becoming an officially recognised parallel management body, which he so far denies it is not.

 

This makes one wonder if uncertain leadership is the cause behind PIA’s drift. Consider this:

 

In July last year, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif allocated seven billion rupees to the airline but only two months later, he ordered its privatisation. At about the same time, the Way Forward Committee was formed. Where is the airline headed? Who is actually in charge of it?

 

In January this year, ads appeared in newspapers asking for suitable candidates to apply for the position of chairman/managing director along with a few other key posts. Sher Ali Khan, when asked, confirms to the Herald that the candidates for the post of both chairman and managing director have been shortlisted and names will be finalised within days.

 

It may not be as easy or as fast as he suggests. While walking through the corridors of the PIA headquarters at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, the overriding feeling one gets is that of uncertainty. The staff, even at senior positions, seems extremely cautious while responding to even the smallest of queries.

 

It is not surprising that such lack of clarity is reflected in the performance of the airline. A PIA source warily admits that decision-making in the organisation is severely lacking. The managing director has been nearly sidelined, while most other senior staff members are waiting and watching. What is evident is that the organisational structure has been disturbed, allowing insecurity to creep in and affect performance.

 

Another senior PIA pilot, with 36 years of flying experience, is highly critical of this state of affairs. “With such a top-heavy management structure, why can’t they make even a single economically viable decision; how can you expect the airline to survive?”

 

In 2010, the management prepared a 164-page comprehensive restructuring plan (a copy of which has been seen by the Herald), which performed extensively detailed fleet and route analysis and made realistic assumptions based on these analyses. Some of the key recommendations in this plan included the removal of non-core functions from the PIA structure, giving them an autonomous identity and forcing them to sustain themselves. These functions included the flight kitchen, maintenance repair and overhaul and the Speedex courier service. The plan also recommended the elimination of 4,300 staff positions.

 

The new business plan presented to the government has copied parts of the 2010 plan but some elements in the new plan are completely off the mark. For instance, it projects a seat factor of 85 per cent to 87 per cent when even Emirates – the world’s top airline with a fleet of 212 planes, all of which are wide body – can achieve a seat factor of 80 per cent to 82 per cent. One of the problems with the new plan is that the management does not share its details beyond 2014. Is the plan indirectly suggesting that the current management does not need to plan beyond the end of this year since, by then, the airline would already be in private hands? No one in the management wants to answer this question.

 

It is obvious that any plans for PIA’s survival must rest on two main pillars — increasing revenue and cutting costs. So far, it appears both pillars are getting a short shrift. Just as one example: Every PIA flight abroad carries much more food than its passengers can consume. “Carrying extra food, without rationalising the requirement for a long-haul flight, consumes extra fuel. On the return leg of the journey, the same food – which is by now stale – flies back, leaving an odious smell in the cabin and causing great discomfort to passengers,” says one Boeing 777 pilot.

 

Another missing element in cost-cutting operations is abandoning unprofitable domestic routes. The airline continues to fly on such routes due to political reasons and geographical needs of far-flung areas as the “national airline,” which, indeed, makes it very difficult for PIA to come out of its slump.

 

Outsiders say the answer to the question of PIA’s survival lies in privatisation. There is, indeed, plenty of support for the idea of privatisation and former chairman Saeed is one of its many supporters. They all seem to believe that the airline can only be saved by making smart decisions through a strong leadership, which is not available in the government. They give the examples of Idris Jala, the former chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines, and Kazuo Inamori, who revived Japan Airlines, both of whom came from the private sector and did not even have any experience of aviation. But both are known to have enough leadership qualities to implement their strategies to turn around the firms under their charge.

 

Yet, Jala, in an interview with McKinsey & Company, said something that those concerned with the fate of PIA must pay heed to. He said, when he took over the Malaysian airline, he sought to find out what was wrong with the company’s profit and loss accounts. “It’s crucially important to frame the problem in the context of the profit and loss rather than something nebulous, like the culture, the structure, the processes,” he is quoted as saying.

 

For that to be replicated in PIA, it is imperative to bring in the expertise of those who can take a microscopic view to determine at what cost the airline, can, or should, be saved. Instead of continuously feeding the airline with piecemeal government loans, that only add to its liability burden, they need to find out what works and what can be made to work, avoiding to do all that is not working despite efforts to the contrary. There has to be a clearly defined business plan and an unambiguous procedure to implement it, rather than the existing confusion and lack of a well thought out way forward.

 

Independent analyst Mosharraf Zaidi believes the most important step PIA could take right now is to hire “the best airline CEO that money can buy.” Citing the example of Jala and those running Gulf airlines, Zaidi says, “There’s nothing stopping Pakistan from hiring a foreigner to do this job.”

 

Jala, in his own words, believes that,

 

“At the start of a turnaround journey, a company is not a democracy. You can’t empower people or ask everybody what they think. You have to be directive, brave enough to set the course.”

 

 

Pakistan’s own man with similar traits was Nur Khan, who, as the head of PIA, took it to giddying heights.

 

One of the biggest challenges that a future leader of PIA will face is getting rid of staff that the airline does not necessarily require. Consider this: With a functional fleet of only 25 planes, PIA has nearly 600 pilots. Other sections are similarly overstaffed. But anyone trying to bring these numbers down to a reasonable level will have to face stiff resistance from the workers’ unions as well as myriad staff associations at the airline. This is much easier said than done.

 

So far, the management shies away from mentioning words like lay-off, retrenchment and so on, and is at pains to point out that staff is not where the problem lies. “Salaries make up only 17 per cent of our total expenditure whereas the world average is between 22 per cent and 25 per cent,” Tajwar says.

 

Figures from the PIA’s human resources department show that around 6,000 people have retired from PIA during the last six years but not as many have been hired in their place. This could be a backhanded way of rationalising staff strength, though the airline’s annual reports don’t show whether there has been any considerable reduction in the number of staff over the last six years. The total number of PIA staff, in fact, has increased from 18,036 in 2008 to 19,500 in 2013.

 

If retirements are indeed retrenchments, they can show their impact only in the very long term and those retiring may not be leaving those positions open which are surplus. They may be retiring from posts that are essential to the working of the airline. In that situation, not hiring new people to replace those retiring will only hurt the airline.

 

In the ultimate analysis, all the various failures of the PIA’s management and the airline’s inability to match revenues with increases in expense over things such as fuel is leading to an additional burden on the already beleaguered national exchequer. Every now and then, the government has to bail out the airline with handouts of billions of rupees. Subsidising air travel for the few is unsustainable for a state that is failing to provide basic services, such as sanitation and clean drinking water to many.

 

How long will such subsidies continue to sustain the unsustainable operations of an overstaffed, underutilised airline? Only those in the government have the answer. The rest of us can only expect it to end sooner rather than later.

[Metanoia]

[Felicius]

[Metanoia]

PIA fires 300 employees for having fake degrees

 

 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken action against the fake degree holders according to the corporation’s rules and regulations and terminated services of 300 employees in this regard.

 

In compliance with instructions of the Supreme Court, the national carrier has been vigorously pursuing the issue of credential verifications of its employees, said a spokesperson in a statement issued here on Friday.

 

He said that this gigantic task of verification of credentials of around 16,000 employees was taken up by PIA's human resource administration department six months ago in October last year.

 

The spokesperson said that the verification process is still ongoing in a transparent manner across the board, encompassing all categories and groups of employees without any discrimination.

 

So far more than 30,000 degrees have been dispatched to concerned educational institutions (universities and education boards) for verification, he said, adding that dispatch process of remaining 3,000 degrees will be completed by mid of April.

 

Up till now verification of more than 6,000 degrees have been received and out of which 350 degrees were found fake.

 

In the light of these actions services of 300 employees have been terminated whereas remaining 50 cases are subjudice and court orders are waited for further action.

 

It is worthy to be mentioned that PIA has expedited the task of verification, however, appropriate action can only be initiated once the replies from concerned university or board is received, the spokesperson concluded.

[Asian Union]

PIA expels 300 employees with fake educational qualifications

our correspondent
Saturday, April 05, 2014

KARACHI: PIA sacks 300 employees. Degrees and other educational qualifications of as many as 350 employees of the national flag carrier have been found ‘fake’ and 'counterfeit'.

"We have terminated 350 employees after their educational degrees turned out to be fake. Five pilots, a good number of air hostesses, senior services staff and some Engineers are included in the list of those sacked during the last six months when the process of verification of educational credentials of over 30,000 PIA employees began," Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar told .

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have now terminated services of around 300 employees with immediate effect while remaining 50 cases are subjudice and courts’ decisions are waited for further action.

Such measures were adopted in compliance with instructions of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The PIA has been vigorously pursuing the issue of credential verifications of its employees, the General Manager Public Affairs PIA Muhammad Mashhood Tajwar said on Friday.

The Human Resource Administration Department of the PIA has been performing this 'gigantic task' of verification of credentials of around '16,000 employees'. The PIA launch the process of degrees verification some six months ago (since October, 2013), he mentioned.

“So far more than 30,000 degrees have been dispatched to concerned educational institutions (universities and boards) for the verifications. Meanwhile, dispatch process of remaining 3,000 degrees will be completed by mid of April. Up till now verification of now more than 6,000 degrees have been received and out of which 350 degrees were found fake”.

The verification process is going on in a very transparent manner across the board encompassing all categories and groups of employees without any discrimination. As per instructions of Supreme Court’s instructions a prompt action was taken against the fake degree holders according to Corporation’s Rules and Regulations, he claimed.

For possessing fake educational certificates, and degrees, a very serious crime which will result in the documents to be corroborated, severe action will be taken against those found guilty of forging their particulars.

The PIA has expedited the task of verification, however, appropriate action can only be initiated once the replies from concerned universities or examination board’s is received, he concluded.

"This is very alarming that even senior pilots serving in PIA had fake degrees," an official said.

PIA finds degrees of 350 employees fake - thenews.com.pk


Such super clear cut strict measures are must needed in all national companies as well as local companies...it is a great step forward to revival.      

[Asian Union]

Plan to induct 28 newest top-line Aircraft to revamp PIA

 

Under 'Revival of PIA plan'.

 

Tariq Butt -Wednesday, April 05, 2014

 

ISLAMABAD: The crisis-ridden Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plans to induct 28 aircraft as part of its revival strategy to bring itself to a breakeven level with increased revenue and cost cutting measures by the end of the current year.

 

The planes will be 20 new generation A-320, B-737, and four Boeing 777 and ATR 72-500 aircraft each.“The only option is to turn around the national flag carrier through different steps,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azim told The News.

 

He said the planes would be immediately taken on dry lease (on rent without fuel, pilots or general flight expenses, having operational control of the flights). “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants that the planes not older than 2010 should be taken.”

 

According to a presentation titled “revival of PIA”, given to top authorities, a copy of which is available with The News, the current fleet of 777 aircraft would be refurbished to the highest level, which would be used only on long haul flights to Britain, the US, Canada and Saudi Arabia.

 

The PIA would be restructured with creation of Strategic Business Units (SBUs), starting with SPEEDEX and followed by kitchen and MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul). Non-core activities would be separated from core to ensure profitability and efficiency.

 

It is projected that the total fleet including the new inductions will generate annual revenue of Rs72 billion at 85% seat factor and 12.5 hours fleet utilization/day. The additional revenue will offset losses, it is hoped.

 

It has been expected that positive impact of modern fleet will raise the passenger confidence, and enhance revenue, schedule reliability and route rationalization and reduce fuel cost by 38% and maintenance cost. The overall operating expenses will come down by 30%.

 

At present, the PIA has a fleet of 34 aircrafts out of which only 25 are serviceable. They operate on 23 domestic and 30 foreign destinations. The airline has the market share of 60.2% (domestic) and 26.8% (international). It overall share comes to 34.4%.

 

The presentation said that the average age of the existing fleet is nearly 17 years. The PIA has 19,418 employees (inclusive of 3,188 personnel through service providers).

 

Employee-to-aircraft ratio is 776, which is almost four times higher than the worldwide ratio. The airline owns assets (aircrafts, properties etc.) worth 128,211,290 billion as against liabilities (loans, Civil Aviation Authority, Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEMs etc.) of 262,549,613 billion. This presents a highly dismal financial condition.

 

The presentation said that business class seats will be upgraded to full flat beds; in-flight entertainment will be improved and cabin ambiance will be changed with placing of carpets, seat covers, curtains, side trims, panels, and gallery equipment.

 

Of the existing PIA fleet, two of four Boeing 747 aircrafts (26-year old) are serviceable. Similarly, six out of twelve Airbus A310 (20-year old) are operational. Two of three Boeing 737 planes (26-year old) are serviceable. All the six ATR 42 (7-year old) planes are in service.

 

Likewise, all the nine Boeing 777 aircrafts are operational. With the exception of one Boeing 777, which is on lease, all the planes are owned by the PIA. Technical reasons have been cited for the nine planes being out of operation. Except Boeing 777 and ATR aircrafts, the average age of the fleet is 18 years.

 

As part of the revival strategy, the PIA has stopped all perks and privileges of present and previous members of its board and chairman. The procurement of aircraft parts will only be from the OEMs. All off-line stations are being closed to save cost. The performance of all the General Sales Agents (GSAs) is being reviewed. Free seat up-gradation or excess baggage has been stopped, the presentation said.

 

http://www.thenews.c...t-to-revamp-PIA

[butterfly]

The airline is clearly over staffed,
700 medical......what is Pia doing with its staff and passengers. Providing daily health checks?
650 finance ...... And they still make a loss. What are these guys idiots?
34 aircraft and only 25 serviceable.....crazy or what

[Felicius]

The 34 aircraft, many were the grounded B-747s and A-300s that Zardari forced PIA to retrieve just so the 3rd man (flight engineer) could fly again. They also forced the procurement to cut ties with trusted vendors and sell off "surplus" spares, due to lack of the B-737 and B-777 couldn't be serviced timely.

[Metanoia]

Saudi Arabia warns PIA of halting flights over unpaid dues

 

 

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) warned the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) of halting all flights in case unpaid dues were not cleared by the national airliner by April 17, DawnNews reported.

 

Sources said Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority has issued several notices to the PIA in the past as well but this appears to be the final warning.

 

In case the dues are not paid by April 17, provision of parking and other facilities to the national flag carrier could be suspended, sources further said.

 

The PIA 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 company is losing Rs87m every day which is equivalent to $305 million a year and its accumulated losses have spiked to Rs180bn.

 

The government has already injected Rs11.75bn as equity this year and plans to invest another Rs4.25bn to keep it flying.

 

One-third of its present fleet of 34 planes remains grounded because of overage or want of repairs.

[Felicius]

http://www.dawn.com/...77-jets-for-pia

 

Nawaz gives nod to five Boeing 777 jets for PIA

APP

 

The prime minister also stressed the need to make PIA a profitable entity and said all efforts should be made in this direction. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday gave his approval for induction of five new Boeing 777 jets into the fleet of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

[Saqr]

Privatization is not always a solution for a badly run state owned enterprise (SOE), nor should profit be the sole determinant of 'success.' PIA is at heart a public service, it connects Pakistanis to key regional and domestic locations that private airlines (especially from outside) may not cater to (not profitable enough).

 

Moreover, the locations and routes PIA has access to are a national asset for the nation, do you really want those assets in the hands of private actors who may just leave the country? No.

 

Finally, profitably comes at a cost, and that cost can result in a decrease in the quality of service (although PIA has hit rock-bottom in some areas). For example, in the case of a natural disaster in Pakistan where the government will need PIA, the government will need to pay PIA based on what the PIA board deems fair (i.e. they may want to make a profit), not based on the actual cost of using the aircraft and burning fuel.

 

In my opinion the solution should be to transform PIA into an efficient SOE, i.e. an SOE that utilizes its revenues and national budget to full effect in a manner that fully benefits the public. We need to push for solutions that trim the organization of its deadweight (non-essential staff) and put in the money necessary to get new aircraft, open new routes, enhance quality of service, etc.

 

If you want to privatize something then privatize the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Edited by Saqr, 25 April 2014 - 03:18 PM.

[Metanoia]

PIA attains profit of Rs1.67bn for first quarter of 2014

 

 

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has attained operating profit of Rs1.67 billion for the first quarter of 2014 – January 1 to March 31 – as against a loss of Rs5.65 billion of corresponding period last year.

 

The national flag carrier has attained the operating profit for the first quarter after a lapse of four years.

 

This was declared in the board of directors meeting, chaired by Secretary Aviation and Chairman PIA, Muhammad Ali Gardezi, held at the airline’s head office here on Tuesday. Managing Director PIA, Muhammad Junaid Younas was also present in the meeting.

 

According to the results of first quarter 2014, the total revenue stood at Rs28.0 billion as against Rs25 billion of 2013.

 

However, the net loss after paying financial costs and taxation stood at Rs1.98 billion as against Rs8.62 billion last year, which shows a remarkable decline of almost 77 per cent in losses. The loss per share has dropped from Rs2.86 to Rs0.56.

 

The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been taking bold steps including privatisation to enhance the national flag carrier’s customer services, on time flight arrivals and departures with safety in order to make it a profitable entity.

 

The premier last week had also given his approval for induction of five new Boeing 777 jets into the fleet of Pakistan International Airlines.

 

The board appreciated performance of the national airline and efforts of Shujaat Azeem, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Aviation and Chairman PIA Gardezi for the revival of PIA.

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

dont know about the prices in other european countries and the UK, but PIA has increased its prices on travel fares from Copenhagen to Lahore/Islamabad..

The amount is almost 1000 Euros, and compared with last year the high season began at the end of May or start from the first week of June.

 

Qatar Airways offers cheaper tickets, so does Turkish Airlnes. Etihad Airlines' prices are almost the same as PIA.

 

My question is, does anyone in PIA have any bloody mind of whats financial strategy is and what competetion can become devasting for the airline??!

 

Not only that, but bloody hell, this time Pakistanis want to travel to Pakistan to hold their fasting and Celebrate Eid in the end of July, that means demand and obviously the airline will use and exploit the situation for their own bloody income without thinking of average Pakistani workers based overseas arent rich to pay expensive tickets.

 

Peace

[Felicius]

PIA isn't exactly a charity organization, they do have to recover their expenses. Kerosene is $4/gallon at the moment. As for pilgrimage:

 

http://www.dawn.com/...image-this-year

 

PIA reduces fare

 

Pakistan International Airline (PIA) reduced its fares on Umrah as well as some domestic sectors, on the directions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pass the benefit of the reduction in oil prices during the past three months, to the customers.

 

Reduction in airfares for Umrah are as follows:North (Punjab, AJK, GB and KP) by Rs. 6,000 from Rs. 72,000 to Rs. 66,000.

 

South (Sindh, Balochistan) by Rs. 6,000 from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 54,000 Fares reduced on Domestic sectors by Rs. 2,000 (Multan,Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, DG Khan etc) .

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

Well thats a gift for the pilgrimages.

[Felicius]

PIA has acquired three A-320s from GE, one was delivered yesterday.

Edited by Felicius, 29 June 2014 - 11:21 AM.

[Metanoia]

PM expresses resolve to make PIA world's leading airline

 

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Sunday visited the Islamabad International Airport to view newly inducted A320 aircraft into fleet of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) after a period of almost ten years.

 

On the occasion, the Prime Minster offered his all out support for making PIA as one of the leading airlines of the world.

 

He said that he would like to see more Pakistanis travelling in the national flag carrier which should be the preferred choice of passengers.

 

He also emphasised on providing best services to passengers and expressed his best wishes for the success of PIA.

 

Special Assistant to the PM on Aviation Shujaat Azeem, Managing Director PIA Muhammad Junaid Yunus and Director Flight Operations PIA Captain Qasim Hayat accompanied the Prime Minister during the visit, said a press release.

 

Sharing his views the PM said “It's pleasing to see the new aircraft being inducted in PIA fleet and prayed that with the present initiatives being taken, PIA will soon be revived to its past glory”.

 

The Prime Minster had approved the inclusion of 14 new aircrafts into the PIA fleet.

 

The Special Assistant to the PM on Aviation briefed the Prime Minister about the initiatives being taken.

 

He told that the PIA was also in the process of inducting 14 aircraft in its fleet including narrow body, wide body and turbo- prop aircraft.

 

The PIA had placed order for acquiring three A320 aircraft from GECAS out of which one aircraft has been received while the remaining two would be delivered in July and September.

 

The remaining aircrafts would be inducted in the near future.

 

The Airbus A320 has a capacity of 180 seats.

[Felicius]

^ We're going for 3-5 B-777 and 7-10 B-737s.

[Felicius]

NS Inspecting the A-320s

 

 

 

[Felicius]

PIA Vehicles - Now a moving billboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-310 Club Class

 

 

 

 

Edited by Felicius, 02 July 2014 - 05:56 PM.

[Felicius]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jazba-e-Kashmir]

I was impressed when travelling with PIA.. The service was awesome. .. the personell came to ask me if I fasted and those who fasted got their meals and Ramadan food package first.. the flight was convenient but the air hostesses were some where flirting and chit chatting with me when they got the opportunity for that. One even passed food beverages etc to the person sitting next to me in such manner that she would deliberately place her arm close to my lips. .. her eyes were stuck at me... This is the first time it has occurred in PIA..

Apart from this the flight was great and people cooperated.

Peace

[Metanoia]

I was impressed when travelling with PIA.. The service was awesome. .. the personell came to ask me if I fasted and those who fasted got their meals and Ramadan food package first.. the flight was convenient but the air hostesses were some where flirting and chit chatting with me when they got the opportunity for that. One even passed food beverages etc to the person sitting next to me in such manner that she would deliberately place her arm close to my lips. .. her eyes were stuck at me... This is the first time it has occurred in PIA..

Apart from this the flight was great and people cooperated.

Peace

 

 

 

Oh gosh darnit !! Spoiling your Ramazan you handsome fellow you !!

[Felicius]

I was impressed when travelling with PIA.. 

 

 

Compare this post of yours to your very first here in this thread and notice the contrast; travelling in PIA is the only way to evaluate it. Do not listen to idiots who defame PIA on word of mouth and haven't themselves traveled on PIA for ages.

 

The pilots are very experienced and professional as well.

[Metanoia]

Actually to be honest....what I have noticed about any given airlines is that it all depends on the 'crowd' of the flight. PIA flights to or coming from EU, Dubai and any other part of the world are excellent....so is Etihad etc. 

Flights usually going to or coming from Saudi Arabia are one of the worst.....because of the crowd.

[Felicius]

The crowd only makes the journey pleasant or uncomfortable, they don't change the food or safety. One has to look at the service level in such conditions. Sometimes you feel that the ground crew is in haste, and the reason usually is that the in-flight crew is overworked and their curfew will end at a certain time. Hence, they have to land the aircraft at the destination before that curfew, and in order to do that they hurry through the boarding stage to get the jet off the runway quick enough to make it on time.

 

If toilets stop working then it is the maintenance crew of Dnata, etc, at that airport - independent contractors. The airline cabin crew that just arrived have no knowledge of, or control over it. If incompetent ground crew delay the aircraft while refueling, deicing, or replenishment, then the blame should not be directed at the pilots.

 

Passengers like to blame all the outside factors on the in-flight crew.

Edited by Felicius, 08 July 2014 - 09:27 AM.