ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The Supreme Court on Friday placed a ban on appointments in the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) till the time its affairs were improved.

Headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, a three-judge bench sought complete record of procedures adopted for recruitment in the organisation along with details of its violation, if any.

After two weeks PIA chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik and Civil Aviation Authority director general will appear before the court with a comprehensive strategy on revamping the airlines.

The two officials will also ensure that no flight in future is delayed — a real bane for passengers — unless there are unavoidable circumstances.

The bench was hearing a case on PIA’s weak financial health on applications moved by the Transparency International, PML-N secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Marvi Memon highlighting rampant corruption in the national carrier.

Expressing concern over the out-of-turn recruitments in the PIA, the court deplored that 450 employees had been on each aircraft. PIA has a total fleet of 31 aircraft out of which 28 are operating in and outside the country.

Advocate Raja Bashir who represented the airlines presented a report suggesting that PIA had suffered a loss of Rs22.43 billion after taxation in 2012 as compared to the loss of Rs19.9bn in 2011.  The court noted that the losses were increasing each year.