Pakistan

Middle Eastern carriers ruining PIA: Babar

The losses incurred by the national carrier have often been blamed on overstaffing

Maryam Usman November 10, 2015

PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:

While opening discussion on his motion on the performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Monday, PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar called for inquiry into the reasons behind granting unlimited traffic rights to the Middle Eastern carriers.

He blamed the Middle East (ME) based airlines operating in Pakistan for making PIA a loss-making enterprise just when there is talk of its imminent privatisation.

PIA, travel agency officials to come under the scanner

“PIA has been thrown to the wolves, raising serious questions that must be probed,” the senator said.

The losses incurred by the national carrier have often been blamed on overstaffing. “While PIA is certainly overstaffed, its current salary bill of around 17% of the revenue is within the limits of 25% practiced in the industry,” he said.

States own the air space over their territory and negotiate commercial aviation treaties keeping in view national interest and fair competition, he said. “All subjects of negotiations have been totally ignored in the case of the three ME airlines,” Babar said.

The PIA mess

Giving examples he said that previously Gulf based airline had four weekly flights to Islamabad and Lahore. Now that airline flies 14 weekly flights to Islamabad, besides having been given additional new routes of Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan, the PPP senator said.

Minister In-charge Sheikh Aftab said that the current government was working to improve the situation. They have acquired some aircraft on dry lease and losses of billions of dollars have been reduced.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (17)

Shahzada Sohail Malik | 8 years ago | Reply All comments are showing adequate concern and reasons for the dawnfall of PIA but if single sentence can enter into the ears and minds of authorities and Politicians which could simply bail this airline out of doom is "ADOPT ZERO TOLLERANCE POLICY ON CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM" and we all will see PIA coming out of present situation and will raise its performance and service.

Imran | 8 years ago | Reply Canada is restricting Middle Eastern carriers to limited flights. US top airlines Delta, United , American are raising voice against the open sky policy while we desire to compete Middle East airlines which is simply not possible at this time

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Imran | 8 years ago | Reply Majority of comments stated raise the standards, raising the standards require massive funding and a well built economy.....We simply cant compete foreign carriers with the low investments and unsuitable economic conditions

Sam | 8 years ago | Reply Compete with them and raise your level of service. Oh well that will never happen.

S.R.H. Hashmi | 8 years ago | Reply I remember the good old days when PIA had a slogan “Great People To Fly With’. And what is more, PIA justified every word of it. In fact, it was PIA and its staff which had helped establish aviation industry in the Middle East. And now we have reached a stage where Peoples Party Senator Farhatullah Babar is accusing Middle Eastern carriers of ruining PIA. However, I firmly believe that the responsibility for ruining PIA is solely ours, and ours alone. Senator Babar has ruled out the overstaffing in PIA to be a major cause of the loss, stating that against a permissible percentage of staff cost to revenue ratio of 25 %, PIA comes out with a 17 %. However, there could be some catch in these calculations and I still can’t see how PIA’s staff to aircraft ratio three times that of the airlines of comparable size would be an insignificant factor. Senator Babar is of course right lambasting the authorities concerned for recklessly opening up the country’s airspace to Middle Eastern airlines, totally unmindful of the interests of PIA. Still, if PIA was really good, like it was in early days, it could still compete with them and secure business. I remember the days when even during just over an hour’s flight, PIA would offer full meal during flight, followed by hot tea poured out of a teapot instead of giving just hot water with tea, sugar and milk sachets, or where other airlines would just give a meal voucher. In fact, the real cause of PIA’s downfall is rampant corruption, in almost all departments, locally as well as abroad, and complete absence of controls. And by the look of it, another massive corruption is being planned in the privatisation deal of PIA as well as other state owned entities, when they will be sold at rock bottom prices to front men of relatives, friends and associates. Karachi

Rollin & Trollin | 8 years ago | Reply @bash gul: Get your facts straight, mate. Only Emirates got PIA assist, but not Gulf or Etihad. Unfortunately PIA has become the dumping ground for people who otherwise would not be able to secure employment in a competitive jobs market, and, mainly thanks to PPP.

Jaan Bhittani | 8 years ago | Reply Amazing, All other Airlines in the world making profit, but except PIA.. it is really strange.

bash gul | 8 years ago | Reply @pakistani: He forgot that the ME airlines are successfull because they were all started with the help of PIA. The ratio of employees for each aircraft is more than thrice that of other international airlines. This guy is trying to support the jiyalays they stuffed into PIA who ruined the national carrier.

Jameel ur Rasheed | 8 years ago | Reply Less than 40 jets and more than 450 pilots. Can you please explain the maths here?

Saad | 8 years ago | Reply How about raising the standard of PIA by manifold and then compare PIA with Gulf carriers. PIA is neither cheap nor good and mostly not reliable so why would I pay almost the same amount to travel on it. Raise its standard then expect people to travel PIA, eitherway way, its a free world and everyone has a choice to travel on whatever they like.

Bilal | 8 years ago | Reply Its interesting that a PPP ex-minister has the audacity to say that. And ironic that a PML sitting-minister is having to "improve" the situation of the national flag carrier. I've never worked for the PIA but have strong emotional attachment as my mom did (for considerable time). I had this unsaid commitment to fly PIA even I "came of age" from ME to back home every vacation, until one day I suddenly realized that although I'd purchased a PIA ticket, I was flying some Russian airline. And I just couldn't be a hypocrite so started flying Emirates/Etihad. Mr. Babar wants us to believe that PIA's woes are an externality and not the doings of his own govt. (or various military/civil govts since 1960s). Let me remind him that Emirates is an airline that PIA helped built from scratch (with aircrafts on wet lease + trainings). PIA like other State Owned Enterprises across the country are a resounding e.g. of what has gone wrong with the people of Pakistan and the govts. we "elect". Nepotism, corruption and mismanagement are 3 main problems. While I'm not sure if privatizing the national carrier is a solution, I know that govt. intervention is at the core of PIA's ills (like other SOEs). Give it up to professionals and perhaps a later management buy-in.

Disgusting | 8 years ago | Reply A typically hired man. A disgrace to his clan.

Maher | 8 years ago | Reply Shut up oldy, and increase the bar of performance and efficiency in PIA

Abdul Aleem | 8 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Before commenting, you better make your facts straight. Although what you said is right, but this GUY is a PPP SENATOR, NOT a MINISTER

Syed | 8 years ago | Reply I think its a mixture of all, unabated hiring by PPP and PML N when they come to power as they have to give jobs to the voters and also corruption in giving key routes and time slot to foreign airlines. Also level of service PIA provide at the same cost as others is a big question mark. Please give PIA preference on Time Slots so that travellers can come to Pakistan in day light. Unfortunately many Pakistanis want to travel with PIA, but they end up come to Karachi or Lahore at night or early morning time. this makes it difficult for families to travel with PIA.

pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply "He blamed the Middle East (ME) based airlines operating in Pakistan for making PIA a loss-making enterprise just when there is talk of its imminent privatization." All its about competition you dumb minister. Make PIA services better, no one would go in another airline. Why is it so hard for you guys to get that at the end of the day, Most Pakistanis are now looking for better services even at a higher cost. PIA with horrible on time record, stupid customer care and lack of services is the main cause of its demise. Give your minister ship to some educated guy and he will tell you all about it. Who elected you in the first place

Incognito | 8 years ago | Reply Unabated hiring by PPP was and is one of the main reasons for PIA being what it is. One more glaring fault was hiring non professional and incompetent top management.

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