Over the years PIA collected so many firsts that it was almost embarrassing. It was the first Asian airline to fly the Super Constellation, to operate jet aircraft, to induct the Boeing 737-300 and to induct the Boeing 777-200LR, the world’s longest range commercial airliner. It was the first non-socialist airline to fly to China and to operate a service between Asia and Europe via Moscow. And then there were, of course, the employees, and some of the chaps who became legends in their life time, like Captain Abdullah Baig and station manager S K Ali, both deceased.
Baig still holds the London-Karachi flying time record of six hours 43 minutes and 55 seconds which he established on January 2, 1962 in a Boeing 720-040B aircraft. Ali was the kind of chap who believed no problem was ever incapable of solution. Enver Jamall, a former managing director of PIA, devoted a whole chapter to him in his delightful autobiography I Remember. Here are a couple of anecdotes about this remarkable man whose thought processes worked overtime and who told white lies, but always in a good cause.
The scene: Karachi airport. A flight carrying Hajj pilgrims has been unusually delayed. A pir exhorts his disciples to burn the aircraft. Somebody shouts “Call S K Ali”. It is almost time for the maghrib prayer. Ali arrives, mounts the platform, reads the azaan. After prayers he preaches to them about the glories of Allah. “Not a sparrow flies, nor a leaf falls to the ground without the will of Allah. How then can a big metal bird fly without the permission of Allah?”
The scene: Karachi airport. Due to the negligence of the traffic staff an aircraft took off for Islamabad without carrying the high-powered visiting Nigerian delegation. Ali spotted a Fokker 27 on the tarmac ready to take off. He informed the leader of the delegation that as their visit was short he obtained special permission of the top management to send them by a special airplane that would give them a wonderful aerial view of the ancient town of Multan and the industrial city of Faisalabad. For this he received the profuse thanks of the delegation.
Unfortunately, they don’t make people like that anymore.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2012.
COMMENTS (16)
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@Nahmed: If you include the dictatorship of Musharraf as a good thing, then I would say that thinking like yours which supports unconstitutional means and illegal dictatorial rule is what is wrong with PIA. Otherwise does it make sense that an airline which is nearly always full and enjoys being the first choice of expatriate Pakistanis to be losing money?
@author:--Sir,In the short span of time you have told a lot about the misery of one of our various institutions which have crumbled due to incompetence,selfish and indifferent attitude of those who manage the affairs of state.In your article may be you wanted to be concise or what?,because one thing that you mentioned just as a passing remark needs to be discussed in great detail because very few know how many billions we have wasted by now by not following the Moscow route for travel between Asia and Europe and how cheap and profitable by way of time and money could the travel be?
@Nadir: I do not think I have blamed the sitting government for PIA's failure, even if they may have some role it it. The thrust of my argument has been, about our inability to face whatever can be called reality. Once a problem is isolated, solution should be found to get rid of it. Instead, like a routine some scapegoats are found for laying the blame on their doors. It may provide some respite or momentary relief but the problem remains unsolved.
As pointed out earlier, higher fuel prices or increase in taxes effected all the airlines, apparently some steps were taken but it did not have the desired effect. Is the planning section incapable of factoring in----what if? The chappy who decided for cheaper spares, could not be countered by others, with slightly better IQ? Is it not true that the airline caters to hordes of free-loaders besides being over-staffed?
We cannot go on playing victims at every step, instead should ask questions about the validity of methods adopted? It may come as a surprise to you, that the romanticised picture has existed in the minds of some, along complaints of inefficient service and lackadaisical attitude of the staff, as long as the airline has existed. Some of the dead wood has to be got rid off otherwise someone may use the "Delete Now" button.
Your answer in a nutshell sir: democracy happened to it!
@Abid and Falcon: Agree, the problems are not limited to what I have identified. However, what I do have problem is with gross limitation of problem identification that limits PIAs problems to the sitting government. Not because I have any affinity for it, but because it overlooks many of the pther problems PIA faces. Yes, the sitting government has a responsibility towards PIAs financial health. However at the same time, commentators who romanticise PIA's achievements, such as receiving this aircraft first or the other, overlook the fact that recieving an aircraft first says nothing of the profitability of the airline. PIA may have recieved 777-200ER first, but those we received through US EXIM loans, what is there to be proud off?
Second, people have now started comparing PIA with gulf airlines. That is an impossible benchmark to compete with. On the one hand people proudly say that Pakistani's setup and developed various gulf airlines, but fail to realise that the transfer of skills from Pakistan to Gulf Airlines is one of the reasons for current failures. Over staffing is an issue, which is cumulative over a long period time. While Gulf Airlines, lets take Qatar Air as an example, run every part of aviation services, from the airport, to ground staff to infrastructure for its own aircraft and those of other airlines, PIA has to compete with Askari Aviation and Shaheen Air Services and another private operator whose name I forget.
The link between global oil prices and EU taxes and regulations is that PIA has to then use its newer aircraft on international flights to say the EU and North America. That leaves the old extremely inefficient aircraft flying domestically. The delays stem from the fact that PIA has delayed maintenance and opted for cheaper spare parts to cut down on costs.
So while they are a multitude of reasons for PIA failures, the reductionist arguments linking it to the present government are very limiting.
In my 65 years of age, I saw three persons who delivered. Ayub Khan, Z.A.Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf. The institutions did well in these three periods.
very poorly edited, you can tell how half the article was cut to fit it onto the paper, at least put the full version online et
We all need to grow up and realise that much of what ails PIA is not our doing like the global cost of aviation fuel and airline charges. At the same time, we need to fix our culture of entitlement where all kinds of unecessary people are hired and enjoy undeserved perks even when they retire. Why should it be that PIA which enjoys the support of so many Pakistanis all over the world is losing money? I know that all my relatives in North America and Britain prefer PIA over any airline when they travel.
@Nadir: While I agree with your thesis that this democratic government is not the source of every problem, I do believe they could have pushed towards economic reforms such as privatization that would have helped the situation. All the factors you have cited are systematic factors and have affected all airlines equally. What ails PIA are firm specific issues such as its poor brand management, inefficient operations, poor sourcing decisions, and most of all, lack of meritocracy.
The airline industry around the globe is suffering. Have a look at how many airlines have gone bust over the past 10 years, or have merged to survive. "this democratically elected government" didnt destroy PIA, no more than Ayub Khan can claim for its success. As long as we deal in convenient cliches the rot will continue, unless Zardari is also responsible for the massive hike from 2007 of global oil prices, EU airline taxes and increases in overflight charges.
It was the Golden Era of Ayub Khan. Compare that to this democratically elected goverment that has brought down most of the institutions in the country.
Make you wonder who was flying PIA! Democratic government or the Army?
Come to think of it one could say the same for Pakistan as well.