After a year’s gap: PIA decides to resume flights to Muscat, Sharjah

National flag carrier anticipates high traffic on both routes

KARACHI: In an effort to expand its footprint and curb losses, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to resume operations on Muscat and Sharjah routes which it suspended over a year ago.

The national flag carrier decided to restart flights after anticipating high traffic flow on both routes.

The order to widen the business network came directly from PIA President and CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik. He directed the commercial department to follow an aggressive strategy to enhance the airline's market access and revenues, according to a statement issued on Friday.

The airline suspended flights on the two routes due to fleet constraints and unavailability of viable time slots, which hindered its operations at that time.

"After undertaking and evaluating the feasibility study of these routes, PIA decided to resume operations for the two cities," said PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar. "Route rationalisation is a continuous process for PIA."

The airline witnessed growing traffic on the Muscat route, therefore, it decided to restart flights to the capital of Oman.

Flights on the Lahore-Muscat route will resume on November 17, 2018 with A320 aircraft. Flights to Muscat will be run twice a week, on Saturdays and Sundays.

Apart from Lahore, PIA will have a total of nine flights to Muscat from Peshawar, Turbat and Gwadar.

Similarly, PIA has restarted Sialkot-Sharjah flights and it will fly twice a week - on Tuesday and Friday. Flight operations from Sialkot will recommence on November 20, 2018 after which the airline will have five weekly flights to Sharjah including three from Turbat.

Passengers on both the routes comprise mostly labourers who work in these destinations. Therefore, the airline obtained the time slot of weekends since labourers mostly travel on these days so as not to waste their holidays.

PIA had expressed the will to resume flights on the routes long ago, however, it could not get the intended slots from the respective aviation authorities, said the spokesperson.

"Airline officials will make their best efforts to enhance service standards which will definitely boost our sales," said the CEO. "The turnaround and revival of the national flag carrier is now inevitable and the government is extending all-out support in this regard."

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2018.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.