National carrier’s dilemma
Aviation in Pakistan has never been in profit mode for decades. Gone are the days when the national carrier was not only in high gear business but also made many regional airliners learn to fly. As of today, PIA is in doldrums, and if the briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation is any criterion, it is on the brink in terms of operational and survival affairs. To quote the Civil Aviation Authority, all pilots of the national airline are done with their organisation, and are on the tenterhooks. There are reasons, of course, for this despicable state of affairs and the least to count are ad-hocism at work, coupled with despotism and an unprofessional approach.
The upper house was told that pilots are not very happy with the national airline and most of them are keeping their fingers crossed. Pilots too have their woes to narrate as 35% of their emoluments are deducted as taxes, and their pay and perks are not in relevance with the international aviation standards. Moreover, there is a pestering unprofessional stint as, according to a probe, around 141 pilots were in possession of questionable licences, and only 69 of them were cleared after a thorough vetting. This obviously had an impact on its image at home and abroad, and it is no surprise that the volume of trust from customers and sponsors has nosedived all these years.
PIA, of late, has never been treated as a company or a services sector, but rather as an entity to serve the officialdom. It was never in the professional hands as other regional airlines, who took advantage of the fissures to capture the entire Pakistani aviation market. Grounded planes, mishaps and lack of accessories, to keep it in the air, are some of the irresistible problems, and lastly politics of connivance had shattered it to the core. PIA demands restructuring on a war-footing basis and that too by credible professionals. Offers by hi-fi aviation entities to operate it on a profitable turn-key basis should be given an attentive ear.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2023.
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