Govt should revise transport routes, make tickets affordable, match the services provided by competition
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) is entering a potentially dark chapter as its corporate image has been badly devastated due to continuous violation of air safety regulations, long flight delays and cancellation of flights. Maintenance of PIA aircraft is also being ignored. It is, in fact, passing through a critical phase because of poor management, lack of maintenance and corruption. There are complaints of dreadful service. These issues create disappointment among passengers. They feel that their lives are at risk while travelling by PIA. The national carrier, in the past, was known all over the world, for its tremendous performance and exceptional attributes. That was the golden period for PIA.
Now, however, the airline is suffering from a severe financial crisis. It is short of funds and there is a popular rumour that it may be privatised soon and many of its employees have a very low morale because of that. There is no doubt that financial crisis, mismanagement and corruption are the root causes of the airline’s decline — but privatisation is not the solution. The government should bring in reforms. It should revise transport routes, make tickets affordable, match the services provided by competition, avoid hiring personnel on political basis and stop giving free transport to ministers and VIPs. The airline needs to overcome its weaknesses. Instead of wasting money on lining up fashion shows in five-star hotels in order to select new dress-codes for the crew members, it should concentrate on trying to overcome the worsening state of affairs at the only international airline of Pakistan.
Sarah Ali Bhutto
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2015.
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