Writer should know that so-called “good deal” proposes that PIA cease its existing operations to New York,...
LAHORE: I was surprised to read Meekal Aziz Ahmed’s article “A good deal for PIA” in your newspaper of January 18. The contents of the "record of discussion" signed on Dec 29, 2010 clearly suggest that this not just a code-sharing agreement on a reciprocal basis but is to the advantage of Turkish Airlines.
The writer should know that the so-called “good deal” proposes that PIA cease its existing operations to New York and Chicago, along with some routes to Europe, such as Barcelona, Manchester, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. On all these sectors, there is a sizeable Pakistani expatriate clientele and, hence, assured traffic. If one looks at the proposed changes carefully, one will find that the deal is far more to Turkish Airlines’ advantage.
This is an ill-advised move, not least because it will be tantamount to selling off vital gateways and take-off/landing slots which are PIA’s biggest assets. The airline’s flights to New York and Chicago, by its own admission, have load factors of 70 per cent and these will be suspended. Instead, it will operate three weekly flights between Istanbul and Houston, a route that PIA had earlier suspended because of low occupancy.
If this deal were to go through, all sensible people would be right in thinking that it is no less than selling off one of the country’s remaining viable assets.
Malik Tariq Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2011.
