PIA forms task force for cancelled flights

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has formed a task force to meet the challenge and recovery from the situation arising out of cancellation of 32 PIA flights since Thursday last, owing to persistent volcanic ash and subsequent closure of airspace Europe and UK.

A PIA spokesman here on Saturday in a press release said that  the task force would be supervised by the Managing Director Captain Aijaz Haroon and it includes Deputy Managing Director Salim Sayani and senior most Operational Officers.

He further stated it also consists of experienced officers from Passenger Handling, Engineering, Flight Operation, Marketing and Revenue Management, all Station Managers, Security, Planning, Call Center and Emergency Response Center.

It was pointed out that presently, the task force is ensuring maximum passenger care during transit and regular updated information about cancellations and the possibilities of flight resumption.

PIA spokesman said nearly 6,000 passengers in Pakistan and abroad booked on the cancelled flights are waiting to travel as soon as flights begin.

About 400 passengers in transit are lodged at hotels and are being looked after by the airline staff at Paris and other EU destinations.

According to an estimate, PIA has suffered a revenue loss of nearly Rs. 500 million or US dollars six million in the last three days.

The airspace restrictions are likely to remain same until next Wednesday, the spokesman said.