PIA sacked 194 ghost workers in two months

Chairman tell Imran Khan airline facing a total of Rs414.3 billion loss

ISLAMABAD: PIA Chairman Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik on Tuesday told Prime Minister Imran Khan that in the last two months the national flag carried has sacked 194 ghost employees as well as 73 cabin crew and seven pilots who possessed fake degrees.

The PIA chairman was briefing the premier about the steps taken to revive and run the national carrier in a professional and organised manner and the measures taken for eradication of corruption and mismanagement, reduction in the losses and improvement in services.

Khan, who was presiding over a high-level meeting, was apprised that the PIA had been incurring a total loss of Rs414.3 billion, including Rs247 billion loans, Rs144.7 billion arrears and Rs4 billion for payment of loans on a monthly instalment basis, besides payment of Rs1.5 billion as monthly interest.



The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Privatisation and Aviation Mohammad Mian Soomro, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Senator Faisal Javed and other senior officials, the PM Office media wing said in a press release.

The PM observed that being the national flag carrier, the PIA has been the country's identity but unfortunately, it has borne the brunt of the past mismanagement, corruption and vested interests. The common man and the taxpayers have to bear its burden continuously, Khan added.

He also expressed his satisfaction over the present management's efforts and assured the government's complete support in the revival of the national airlines by turning it into a profit-generating organisation.

The PM directed the PIA chairman to finalise a comprehensive and complete business plan, so that its losses could be netted, by making the PIA a profit-earning and financially stabilized organization.

The prime minister was further told that due to lack of attention on the profit earning and non-profit earning routes, the PIA was suffering a loss of Rs500 million alone on the seven international routes.



Considering those losses, the current management was reviewing the international routes. Moreover, it was also separately running into losses on different inland non-profitable routes.

The meeting was told that the negligence towards the conditions of aeroplanes and land facilities led to lack of basic facilities, whereas expensive machinery and tools were getting rust under the open sky.

The present management especially focused on those issues. The PM was further apprised about the steps taken for the enhancement of the professional capacities of the current manpower.

The meeting also took stock of the measures and reforms being taken for the PIA’s revival, including efforts for acquiring of new aeroplanes, simulators for training of pilots, training of the cabin crew and other financial issues.

The PM was told that it was being ensured to pay salaries and pensions to the lower grade employees. Similarly, the PIA’s resources were being retrieved from those who had occupied them illegally. The PIA chairman also briefed the PM about the upcoming three months planning and the long-term planning.