Last resort?: Improve services or face privatisation, minister tells PIA
Ahsan Iqbal says govt will not let airline employees take passengers hostage .
Ahsan Iqbal. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ZAFAR ASLAM
ISLAMABAD:
Federal minister for planning and development warned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) of dire consequences including ‘privatisation’ if it failed to improve its services.
Ahsan Iqbal stated this on his return from China at the Benazir International Airport where he was witness to chaos and mismanagement leading passengers to complain about the services of the national carrier.
Iqbal said that while waiting at the customs he saw officials giving VIP protocols. “Being a minister if I can stand in the queue then why VIP protocol to some people,” he questioned rhetorically.
He said that he would take the matter up with the authorities concerned and urge them to take action against acts of sheer negligence. “Everyone knows that PIA is one of the country’s overstaffed organisations, but there is no service,” he pointed out.
“We cannot allow a few thousand PIA employees to hold passengers hostage. We have to seriously think over some options, including privatisation of the airline to improve its service standard,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune Iqbal added that PIA had become a welfare organisation only for its employees, whereas the passengers faced problems due to its deteriorating standards. “I have warned them to either improve their services or be ready to face other options,” said Iqbal, adding that employees of the national carrier and their families enjoyed many privileges including free tickets but their contribution in terms of providing better services has been disappointing.
“PIA management should take initiative to improve its service standard to bring it at par with other international airlines”.
PIA, incurring a loss of billions of rupees every year, faces criticism from all quarters for its falling service standards despite receiving a huge chunk of funds from the national exchequer and ranking among one of the overstaffed organisations.
The federal minister said the government will no more tolerate the humiliating attitude of the PIA staff meted out to passengers or below par services provided during travel time. He took note of the luggage of passengers, arriving from Skardu and Karachi, being misplaced.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2013.
Federal minister for planning and development warned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) of dire consequences including ‘privatisation’ if it failed to improve its services.
Ahsan Iqbal stated this on his return from China at the Benazir International Airport where he was witness to chaos and mismanagement leading passengers to complain about the services of the national carrier.
Iqbal said that while waiting at the customs he saw officials giving VIP protocols. “Being a minister if I can stand in the queue then why VIP protocol to some people,” he questioned rhetorically.
He said that he would take the matter up with the authorities concerned and urge them to take action against acts of sheer negligence. “Everyone knows that PIA is one of the country’s overstaffed organisations, but there is no service,” he pointed out.
“We cannot allow a few thousand PIA employees to hold passengers hostage. We have to seriously think over some options, including privatisation of the airline to improve its service standard,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune Iqbal added that PIA had become a welfare organisation only for its employees, whereas the passengers faced problems due to its deteriorating standards. “I have warned them to either improve their services or be ready to face other options,” said Iqbal, adding that employees of the national carrier and their families enjoyed many privileges including free tickets but their contribution in terms of providing better services has been disappointing.
“PIA management should take initiative to improve its service standard to bring it at par with other international airlines”.
PIA, incurring a loss of billions of rupees every year, faces criticism from all quarters for its falling service standards despite receiving a huge chunk of funds from the national exchequer and ranking among one of the overstaffed organisations.
The federal minister said the government will no more tolerate the humiliating attitude of the PIA staff meted out to passengers or below par services provided during travel time. He took note of the luggage of passengers, arriving from Skardu and Karachi, being misplaced.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2013.