According to the AGP report for 2017-18, PIA reported irregularities of Rs17.11 billion, the CAA Rs24 billion and the ASF Rs240 billion. The report states that due to the incompetence of PIA officers, the national carrier suffered a loss of Rs17 billion ballooning its total losses to Rs350 billion. The report disclosed that the administration appointed 250 management trainee officers against 20 vacant posts due to which the airline had to bear an additional burden of Rs1.24 billion. This and the recent revelation that five PIA pilots are not even matriculates and the degrees of seven others were found to be fake show how rife are favouritism and nepotism in the loss-making entity. Add to this mismanagement and you get the reason why PIA continues to be sick. PIA also suffered a loss of Rs3 billion on account of its Premium Service. Aircraft parts and other machinery parts were rendered useless due to negligence by the engineering department. The report says top executives, including former German CEO, were given unreasonable emoluments. Highly expensive equipment procured for development of a passenger terminal at the Islamabad International Airport caused a loss of Rs6.5 billion to the CAA. The CAA, however, saw a rise of 35pc in its overall revenues while its assets increased by 7.5pc as compared to the previous fiscal year.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2019.
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