Senate panel tells PIA to upgrade services

Says the national carrier should be allowed to function without hindrance.

ISLAMABAD:

In order to get more business, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) must upgrade its ‘outdated system’, advised Senate acting chairman Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali on Thursday.

He was chairing a sub-committee meeting of the standing committee on defence and defence production on Thursday.

“PIA’s business class can generate revenue that can be utilised for the upgradation of the existing facilities to make the airline more competitive   like other world class airlines,” he said. PIA should be allowed to work without any hindrance and stakeholders should be taken on board in order for the airline to provide better service, he added.

Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, who is also the member of the committee, said that there is room for improvement within PIA’s business class services and the management should consider offering incentives to the airline’s customers as well as its crew.

The Senate panel recommended that children and disabled persons should be given subsidies on PIA’s business and economy class. The panel also said that the management should consider promoting the cabin crew working in the economy class to business class on the basis of ‘good performance’.

During the course of proceedings, PIA officials informed the committee that the airline was facing a shortage of funds which was why it was unable to improve its services. They requested the committee to allocate more funds for PIA in the upcoming budget. The committee was assured that their recommendations would be sent to the ministry of defence for further consideration.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2011.