Pakistan

Etihad Airways denies buying PIA

Employee unions, backed by thousands of workers and opposition political parties, are up in arm against privatisation

Our Correspondent December 12, 2015

PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI:

Etihad Airways has denied reports of purchasing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which the government has put up for privatisation in the coming months.

“The reports have no substance and are totally unfounded,” it said in a statement issued through its local PR agent. No one was immediately available to explain why the airline felt the need to clarify its position.

PIA and Etihad Airways sign codeshare agreement

The government wants to sell 26% stake along with management control in PIA, which has been saddled with billions of rupees in debt and other legacy costs.

PIA management has been inducted new aircraft lately in a bid to bring down fixed costs and increase frequency but it will take much more for its finances to improve, officials say. Employee unions, backed by thousands of workers and opposition political parties, are up in arm against privatisation.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2015.

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COMMENTS (6)

wasim ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply I stop flying with PIA after bad experience couple of times . I prefer Qatar or gulf airlines. PIA is just tax payer eating machine.. Its a kind of charity that people of Pakistan are giving to PIA employees to enjoy luxury life, and in return they get bad service.... still they don't want govt to privatize it... Strange people with strange thinking patterns... Another option is to register PIA employees under BISP program, which is same as getting money for doing nothing..

Rizwan Khan | 8 years ago | Reply These free loaders and free tickets for friends and family has lead to this. I've no sympathy with them

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Bridge | 8 years ago | Reply Great joke. Mansha group is likely to take over the national flying carrier. How come there can be any one else

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply Ok then....sell it to the employees and cut off the state aid/bail outs which are funded by teh tax payers. Then let the employees deal with the overstaffing, corruption, poor safety, poor professional standards Lets see how long that lasts

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply This is not surprising.......IF PIA gets privatized it's real owners will remain a mystery.....but its a mystery worth bearing with.

Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply "Employee unions, backed by thousands of workers and opposition political parties, are up in arm against privatisation" the general public however strongly favours privatization so their opposition hardly matters.

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