Business

PIA adds five new destinations

Passengers would now travel via Etihad Airways to Australia, Europe

Our Correspondent June 02, 2016

PHOTO: AFP.

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has added five new destinations - four in Australia and one in Europe - as part of its code sharing agreement with Etihad Airways, said a PIA hand-out on Thursday.

Airlines sign such code sharing agreements for those destinations where they do not operate, allowing passengers to travel on their tickets, added the hand-out.

Expanding operations: Fifth A320 aircraft joins PIA fleet

The new stations include Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Zurich.

In June 2015, PIA signed the code sharing agreement with Etihad Airways for several destinations in Europe, North America, Eastern Africa and Middle East including Rome, Madrid, Athens, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Nairobi and Amman.

“With this code share arrangement, passengers traveling to the US would now be able to avail the facility of immigration at Terminal 1 of Abu Dhabi airport, which would save them from going through the immigration procedure at US airports,” said the hand-out further.

PIA already has made such code sharing arrangements with the Turkish Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Thai Airways. Under such agreements, PIA also lifts passengers of partner airlines to destinations where they do not operate.

PIA continues its flight in the red

Accoding to the Economic Survey 2015-16, PIA posted a growth of 5.5% in passenger revenue while the revenue hours increased to 111,455 hours during 2015 compared to 101,556 hours flown in 2014.

“Strong growth was witnessed in the Asian and Middle East markets while profits were highest for North America, followed by Asia Pacific,” it added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.

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COMMENTS (8)

Pak Soul | 8 years ago | Reply Awesome.

Azhar Hussain | 8 years ago | Reply Stronger airlines with more destinations benefits from code sharing, not the weaker one. Adding code sharing agreements with Gulf airlines to Australia will no way help PIA. Code sharing for USA cities will also benefit them, the only sector PIA will get if booked flight from say Chicago to Skardu, they will fly me all the way to Islamabad and only sector left will be PIA on the domestic destination. Our shelfish leaders have almost destroyed another iconic institution because of their own inept thinking.

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woz ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply So if I want to fly to Australia, I need to Fly to Abu Dhabi, change planes then fly back over Pakistan ? Would it not be easier, quicker and in theory cheaper to fly via Bangkok or Singapore ? At least the journey time will be hours quicker !

ShamelessPakistanis | 8 years ago | Reply @Ehs: Thats how almost every airline adds.

AK | 8 years ago | Reply Of the five three are Raiwind, London Park Lane, and Takht-e-Lahore.

Elias | 8 years ago | Reply lol only forward... @Ehs... frankly we cannot and have repeatedly demonstrated to be not able to run so let the foreigners do that..

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply @Ehs: An airline in shambles and in dire need of an overall rationalization program if not outright privatization, it needs to get its act together before it spreads itself thin by expanding its core operations.

Ehs | 8 years ago | Reply It's a code-share agreement. PIA hasn't added five destinations to it's own operations. It is essentially just a rental agreement where ticket will be issued by PIA, however flight, crew, and plane will of a foreign airline. PIA should try to add planes and destinations to its on fleet so citizens of PK can take short direct flights.

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