659 PIA employees found holding fake degrees, NA told

17 of these cases are under investigation

The National Assembly on Thursday was informed that some 659 employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were found holding fake degrees, Express News reported.

The aviation division minister submitted a written reply to the NA, in which it was revealed that the national carrier had 659 employees that held fake degree, out of which 391 have been dismissed from their duties.

Around 251 employees are waiting for their cases to be heard whereas official investigations are underway in cases of 17 of such employee.

The minister also informed the Parliament about the losses PIA has incurred over the years, with a loss of Rs43.65 billion in 2017 alone.



In a maiden and exclusive interview with The Express Tribune earlier this year, PIA CEO Musharraf Rasool Cyan said the airline’s turnaround will occur in the next 24-30 months.

“It is an exciting organisation,” Cyan said, admitting there was work to do as he said it. “There is lot to be done here. It requires proper economic planning, reforms, and a lot of management.”

The airline seems to have hit issues because of a backlog of issues, said Cyan, adding that the failure to take decisions has made the situation worse.

For example, it has taken some of the aircraft on lease at a higher price than the one prevailing in the market and its IT system remains outdated and obsolete when compared with other players.

It has yet to upgrade softwares at several departments including engineering, reservation, flight planning, for efficient use of fuel, and upgrading cabin environment for passengers. It is not using the latest ‘data analytics’, which the modern aviation industry and other businesses are using to snatch market share.

“I am fixing these things immediately. The benefit of this (data analytics) is that sales have improved in the last three months and revenue has picked up. Then we have started the process of eliminating losses,” he said.