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LAHORE: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is seriously mulling suspending its flight operation for the United States from January next year, primarily because of ‘low traffic’.
The airline has stopped booking for its twice-a-week flights for New York from November onwards. However, it will continue to operate its two weekly flights — Lahore-New York and Karachi-Lahore-New York — till Dec 31.
“The PIA is considering closing its flight operation for the US till the financial health of the organisation improves,” a senior official privy to the development told Dawn on Saturday. “The national flag carrier is already facing acute financial crunch, therefore, it cannot operate on routes which are running in losses,” the official said, adding that the PIA’s accumulative loss was over Rs300 billion.
When contacted, PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar said that the decision whether to continue the flight operation for New York after December would be taken in the coming weeks.
Since 1961, the national flag carrier has never stopped flights for New York
“The PIA’s two flights in a week for New York will continue to operate till Dec 31. A decision whether to continue this operation after Dec 31 will be taken by the management in coming weeks.”
Mr Tajwar admitted that the US flight operation was not economically viable.
Nearly 500,000 Pakistanis live in the US and PIA has never stopped its flight operation for that country since it launched the operation there in 1961.
“The PIA may also close its New York office by the end of December and may go for code-sharing with some foreign airline regarding its passengers for the US,” sources said.
The PIA spokesman, however, held out the assurance that no retrenchment would be done in case the management decided to suspend the US flight operation. “There will be transfers and postings according to the PIA’s needs,” he added.
In the past years the PIA operated flights for Washington, Chicago and Houston. Of late, it has cut twice-a-week flight for Chicago and Houston because the routes were no more financially viable.
Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2017
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Comments (76) Closed
Oct 08, 2017 07:55am
This is how the Emirates and Qatar Airlines succeeded. All most all Cities in Pakistan are severed by those Airlines at the cost old PIA passengers.
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Oct 08, 2017 08:21am
The schedule does not suit the US passengers because people wish to travel out on Friday and return Sunday to join jobs. PIA does not serve those days. Other airlines have almost half the fare and far better service. Thus you chose other airlines.
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Oct 08, 2017 08:28am
@Syed I have been in this market for long to say your information is not correct most of the time PIA offer the best fare to Pakistan from any operating point in north America.
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Oct 08, 2017 08:32am
PIA needs to understand its market better. Why not try Australia as market?
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Oct 08, 2017 09:03am
Simply because the airline has gotten so bad no one wants to fly with them. A pity.
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Oct 08, 2017 09:14am
Another feather in the cap of PIA...Ceasing all flights will be a better economic option...
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Oct 08, 2017 09:19am
Hand over to Qatar Airways, the best airlines in this region.
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Oct 08, 2017 09:21am
Rather to discontinue routes, the airlines need professional management & least government intervention.
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Oct 08, 2017 09:36am
It is sad to see the state of affairs of PIA. They need a total overhaul of the system, with no sacred cows to be protected. They start with keeping the most profitable international routes. On the local routes where they have a monoply, they need to make them profitable. They should also stop serving the government with long delays in payments.
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Oct 08, 2017 09:50am
Welcome to PMLN governance
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Oct 08, 2017 09:51am
Put PIA under PAF control that's the only solution for the crisis the airline is facing PIA was domenating the skies from 60s to 90s when it was under PAF
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Oct 08, 2017 10:02am
@Umair Brillient. They are stopping the service because of no passengers . You want to send a 450 seater to Australia with 10 passengers.
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Oct 08, 2017 10:04am
Once the planes were less than 50% full, should have stopped the service. Those who travel on Middle eastern lines for better service would not have a problem. It was sending your family with young children with no stop which was attraction.
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Oct 08, 2017 10:09am
I stopped flying by PIA due to its staff's rudeness and pathetically maintained planes almost a decade ago. The airline has to suffer when it is unable to attract passengers from its own turf.
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Oct 08, 2017 10:21am
It is time to privatization as soon as possible.
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Oct 08, 2017 10:44am
I see the press release is made from Lahore. I thought PIA headquarters was in Karachi !
Lately, I see most PIA related announcements either coming from Islamabad or Lahore.
I moved away to US a while back. I recall Karachi used to be the hub and headquarters for PIA.
Shaan
San Diego, California
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Oct 08, 2017 11:22am
So when people stop flying with you, you close the route?? Why don't you find out why you are not the first choice despite flying direct to Pakistan? Simple: broken and deflated seats, inoperative IFE, unchanged menu, choked toilets, zero complimentary giveaways, rescreening at Manchester, staff attitude, zero branding, limited frequency, schedule integrity etc are few of the several reasons why people are not preferring PIA. Only a non-professional Management like that of PIA can think of closing every route instead of rectifying the flaws. PIA has grandfatherly rights at JFK since 1961 and once PIA gives up its slots, it will NEVER get them back even for a billion $ as there is a long waiting list of airliners that will fill these slots in an instant. PIA and Pak government must think thrice before this adventure.
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Oct 08, 2017 11:37am
A very sad news. In 1989, while flying from Yemen to Dubia, with a government delegation, I happen to meet some PIA senior staff at the Dubia international airport, on inquiry they informed me that are trainers for Emirate fledging airline. The Emirate airlines is presently the best airline and PIA which should have outclassed it, is in deep financial malaise. mainly due to over staffing, lack of maintence, bad service. Presently there are 675 worker per plane which is almost three times of aviation standard for commercial airlines. Most of these are political appointees and majority of them being non technical hands can easily be disposed of provided the sitting government has guts to do it. The best option is to privatize it but the proposal is lingering due to polical hurdles. It's continuation as public sector entity is draining out financial resources which otherwise are to be spent on education and health sectors which are suffering due to shortage of funds.
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Oct 08, 2017 11:44am
@saleem
... and at a throwaway price. that is what they were preparing it for since a long time.
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Oct 08, 2017 11:49am
Pakistanis living in the US prefer to travel via Emirates, Ettihad and other airlines when traveling to Pakistan because they no longer trust PIA in terms of safety and service standards. PIA can not be successful until it improves its image and reputation
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Oct 08, 2017 11:56am
even from UK, PIA is offering best price during peak holiday period, although service may leave something to be desired but id rather opt out of on board entertainment and get to Pakistan 4 hours quicker by not stopped in mid east hubs.
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Oct 08, 2017 12:10pm
when middle eastern airlines offer daily flights, reasonable fare and excellent inflight services, no one bothers even to think about PIA travelling US
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Oct 08, 2017 12:58pm
it has also to do with the service level and ease of travelling. recently my family traveled to Canada from Karachi via PIA, business class. The price of the business class was equivalent to UAE based airlines.
But the service level was pathetic:
- Food was served almost 9 hours into flight. Repeated request were rudely put down by the male purser in business class.
- Were able to get some food and it turned out to be staled sandwiches
- The steward kept yelling lower the shades through out the flight, as others mostly all elderly people, were sleeping
- The in-flight entertainment did not work. Off course PIA announced it's your Qoumi airline if something doesn't work please excuse us, and do not take things in your own hand.
- business class seats looks and feels are off Daewoo bus service. People who have traveled in UAE based airlines can tell the difference in the seats and service level
With such service level, why would a pakistani or a foreigner travel on PIA
-
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Oct 08, 2017 01:11pm
What is wrong PIA, Y not motivate domestic travels, Colombo airport carries more passengers than any of Pak airports, SL has 1/10th of all Pak population. Colombo now tries to be an international transit hub for many airways. Pak aviation sector needs total restructuring. Learn from other airways, give a merit a chance.
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Oct 08, 2017 01:44pm
PIA should suspend entire operation.
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Oct 08, 2017 02:49pm
Overseas Pakistanis are again targeted with this sad news. They have been contributing to Pakistan's economy and deserve a good, convenient and quality air service. Old and family travellers with kids will suffer most. It is critically important to stop this scape goat practice and bring back billions of looted money back into our economy. Our country is a great contry to live in and PIA should be a great airline to fly with.
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Oct 08, 2017 03:00pm
Amazing!
PIA teams helped launch Emirates nearly 30 years ago. Emirates now flies to about 10 US cities, with nearly 100 flights weekly to that country alone. Not to mention nearly 10 flights a day to Pakistan alone. Yet PIA cannot even maintain passenger load of two measly flights to NY?
PIA might as well just stick to internal flights, because even to the Gulf, Emirates and Qatar are beating PIA hands down with superior service and competitive prices. Poor management and political meddling was bound to doom the carrier. Time to shut down the company all together.
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Oct 08, 2017 03:07pm
Management and it's workers are responsible for all such issues and demise of PIA. How these people will survive when PIA is not around. Good luck.
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Oct 08, 2017 03:22pm
Very soon karachi Lahore flight wl also be suspended as low traffic and airblue wl start 3 more flights a day on this route.12000 employees caring only 23 planes of PIA & PIA has been declared 4th worst airline in the world. Stop killing PIA just for the profit of your personal
priv. Airlines.Every corrupt political party has employed its unqualified jiallas in PIA & PIA loss per year now more than 1.5 billion Rs.Stop this corruption.
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Oct 08, 2017 03:30pm
@Syed NO SIR, this has been done deliberately by our beloved Sharif family, there has been no problems for the last 50 years.
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Oct 08, 2017 04:04pm
Read blogs about how Spanish and Americans valued the flights between Barcelona and USA - complimenting PIA. Yet these flights have been stopped!
One need professionals at the helm to run this airline
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Oct 08, 2017 04:16pm
The state of the affairs speak volume about over-staffing by the successive political governments. There are political groups of various parties in PIA who don't adhere to any rule of law. The result is mismanagement. I am witness to the rise and fall of this airline and Pakistan Steel Mill. Many airlines who are presently commanding the sky were trained by PIA. Now they are leaving PIA far behind. Both the organizations have fallen victim to political maneuvering and overstaffing. There is no reason for any institution to go to its lowest ebb when there is near monopoly. All other government sponsored organizations are, unfortunately, in the state of affairs. Instead of giving profits, they have become liability on the federal budget.
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Oct 08, 2017 04:33pm
Air Abbasi will take over soon.
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Oct 08, 2017 04:55pm
It is the way PIA treats its customers will bring back the customers.
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Oct 08, 2017 04:58pm
PIA is doing well on its Pakistan Toronto sector which is a non stop flight from Karachi , Lahore and Islamabad. I think its better if it re routs its New York flights through Toronto rather then making stop overs at Manchester. This way PIA will fulfill its requirements put by US to make a stopover outside USA first before entering USA and will also futher improve the seat occupancy of Toronto based flights. As Toronto is in north east of North America, it can easily work as a gateway for flights coming and going between New York, Houston and Chicago (Houston is another 3 hour while NY and Chicago are hardly 1 hour away by air from pearson) as it literally lies in the way for flights between US and Pakistan.
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Oct 08, 2017 05:02pm
@citizen
If this route is taken there will be no losses at all.They can even declare a profit for non operation.
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Oct 08, 2017 05:08pm
Thank you PPP for destroying and thank you PPP and PTI for politicising the planned sale of PIA and not letting the government go ahead with that
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Oct 08, 2017 05:12pm
Wait till PPP comes back to Power, Zardari and his mates will travel there every week and all flights will be full again
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Oct 08, 2017 05:30pm
They will kill the camel at any cost to get s pound of meet from it.
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Oct 08, 2017 05:34pm
System failure! It is as simple as that.
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Oct 08, 2017 05:40pm
PIS has too many free loading highly paid employees. Corruption is another reason for uneconomic operations. Once the flights to USA stop big retrenchment must follow or the airline will sink.
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Oct 08, 2017 07:11pm
PIA needs proper re-hauling and then re-launch. I read a comparison of Turkish Airline with PIA.
Turkish had around 19000 employees for 296 planes (serving 282 destinations) whereas PIA has 19000 employees for 38 planes ( serving 67 destinations only).
Economics need to be improved in all departments of Pakistan if we want to compete the world.
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Oct 08, 2017 07:14pm
There is a huge population of our people in New Jersey But no PIA flights from EWR newark airport. People have to go to New York paying heavy Tolls and take PIA flight. The Indian community can travel thru' their flag carrier AI at the same competitive rate as the gulf airlines from both the airports Newark and New Jersey.
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Oct 08, 2017 07:25pm
PIA need to run as private airline based in Pakistan to optimize their cost of operation and need to hire real talented staff, not based on links.
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Oct 09, 2017 08:39am
CPEC is worth 62 Billion and PIA already under debt for 300 Billion. Just imagine if PIA was professionally managed we could have done almost 5 CPECs. Really sad state of affair.
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Oct 09, 2017 10:50am
as long as PIA is full of incompetent resources stuffed like lambs, where there are 6-7 employees for one, no way PIA is changing. things will continue to bet worse until it is confined to domestic operations.
the best course of action to save PIA is privatization of minority shares along with management transfer. only private sector can run it better. the government can keep majority shares and enjoy the profits but they are not able to run this organization.
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Oct 09, 2017 11:11am
@Syed which airline changes half the fare Pia charges please let us know.
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Oct 09, 2017 12:03pm
Good move by PIA. If not profitable then why operate on that route. Go where the profit is.
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Oct 09, 2017 12:38pm
@Mohammed its not correct factually. PIA is the not the cheapest option at all!
Emirates and Qatar ,etihad beat PIA fares everyday, all day. I have been travelling
since last 29 yrs and I have seen PIA decline infront of my own eyes.
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Oct 09, 2017 01:40pm
your comment most of them are labor drivers and security guard, neither they dont want to visit nor they dont have money so its ok and they doesnt know english
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Oct 09, 2017 02:28pm
When your focus is on flying missiles and carrying was heads you lose the ability to fly aircrafts and carry passengers. Plain and simple!
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Oct 09, 2017 02:48pm
There are lots of alternates to bring the costs down, firstly operate 777 long range which consumes less fuel, ground handling should be out sourced requiring one person to run complete station, send two sets of crew to avoid hotel bills and other expenses that go with it. Since the fare offered is low, why not cater for passengers cheaper catering just like KLM, Lufthansa etc. This may bring costs down. Select an agent in NYC that rules the market and will be able to boost your passengers market along with cargo. We should remember that all aircraft spares for PIA come from US and this can be carried ob our aircraft instead of pay for carriage.
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Oct 09, 2017 03:16pm
What a contrast - Air India is adding direct flights to US cities from cities other Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. This year alone they added a direct flight to Washington from Hyderabad besides the existing direct flight to Chicago from Hyderabad. Despite the traffic taken partly by Emirates, Ethihad and Qatar Airways, Air India seems to hold profitable load to the US routes!
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Oct 09, 2017 06:37pm
Don't worry. PIA passengers will be well served by Emirates. PIA can sell its aircraft in the secondary market for cheap and get some much needed foreign exchange. Only China gives stuff to Pakistan on soft loans because they know Pakistan will never be in a position to pay it back and at that point they will effectively own Pakistan! So Pakistanis learn to live under Chinese rule!
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Oct 09, 2017 11:52pm
@Mohammed I just went to travelocity.com and looked up fares from Washington DC to Islamabad. Lowest fare via PIA was more than $1500. Qatar airways has the same ticket for $800. Let's call a spade a spade shall we?
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Oct 09, 2017 11:54pm
“The PIA is considering closing its flight operation for the US till the financial health of the organisation improves,” I have traveled from US to Pakistan many times, but only twice on PIA, reason, the crew at the airports, during the flights are most rude and unprofessional people I have ever come across. You wonder why the carrier is losing Billions? Buying new air crafts will never change a thing, unless and until you change the mentality of the people who represent PIA. There are thousands of men and women, educated ones, who are dying to have a chance at it, but instead, we have friends and relatives being hired. I know that PIA has the best pilots, if they could just replace bad attitudes with smiley faces, it would change the future of the air line in 6 months. I have been flying Emirates and Qatar, its amazing how well we are treated
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Oct 10, 2017 01:05am
Thank you PIA for doing this big favor for us. The way this airline is being run by the current administration, very soon, they will be forced to close their operation in UK as well.
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Oct 10, 2017 01:46am
After all States may ban all flights originating from Pakistan. Pakistanis may have to take flights from other countries may be Tel Aviv.
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Oct 10, 2017 01:47am
even better may be from Kabul.
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Oct 10, 2017 02:58am
Looks like PIA will have to merge with one of the Gulf Airlines... Next will be Airblue and Shaheen?
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Oct 10, 2017 04:05am
I live in USA and a frquent traveler to Pakistan. I am also familiar with the air travel between New York and Pakistan.
Even if the service provided by PIA was rough, flighs were late and there is an attempt to take bribes both at the airports in Pakistan and US -- the people of Paklstan wanted to travel in PIA, because it was straight flight with no culture differences. The flighnts were always full. It is a lie that the route was in loss. Now new plans will be made to transer passengers from UK to US through other airlines and that will give an opportunuty of kick backs to PIA staff
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Oct 10, 2017 04:06am
@Syed I am in US, people of Pakistan love to travel by PIA even they charge a few dollars etc.
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Oct 10, 2017 04:19am
Sooner or later PIA will be under either Emirates or Qatar or Eithad Umbrella.
It is very well planned by Arabs and Pakistani government to make PIA fail.
All the travel agents and Pakistani government gets big commission by selling Middle Eastern Airline tickets.
It is a well planned game by Arabs
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Oct 10, 2017 05:06am
It is all linked to little things -the government and the military associates.
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Oct 10, 2017 05:47am
PIA: Try bringing competency, merit, efficiency, honesty, strategic thinking and good service to stop the bleeding otherwise you will bleed to death! Why do you need so many employees per plane?
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Oct 10, 2017 07:25am
The last time I flew USA-PK route was more than 10 years ago when no reasonable direct flights from Newyork or Chicago to Karachi were available...all flights go through Islamabad or Lahore and then they let the Karachi passengers rot in the plane while they are cleaning it...why do all flights have to go through Lahore first?
Thatswhy Karachi passengers have dumped PIA long time ago.
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Oct 10, 2017 08:08am
This is the distruction by design to deestablize PIA and state of Pakistan
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Oct 10, 2017 08:09am
This is distruction by design
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Oct 10, 2017 10:02am
Another short term decision. Businesses do not get profitable by cutting expenses or by giving up market share. Businesses succeed by growing the top line and concurrently cutting fat out of the P&L. Regrettably, PIA is the most over staffed airline and the least efficient. The patient has one foot in the grave.
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Oct 10, 2017 11:15am
PIA, like any other govt. organisation, is the victim of corruption. Overstaffing due to political hiring, financial corruption, incompetent employees has led the national carrier to where it is today. Only if they cut down staff number to optimal and start working honestly, damage can be curtailed. Many people want to choose PIA while travelling but the poor service and high rates stop them from doing so.
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Oct 10, 2017 11:36am
When u start hiring medicore people then thats what happens after few years. Disaster over disaster
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Oct 10, 2017 11:56am
PIA should come in alliance with Etihad or Emirates or Qatar Airline or Asian Airline or may be some Chinese Airline for maintenance, routes and service. European or US airline will never cater PIA. They should move the management, operation to the Alliance. Remove the presence of Pakistani government from management. No political appointments, minimize the staff. Per plane staff be reduced to 175 personal or less than any other international airline. Other than name, all other operations be transferred to the Governing body outside Pakistan. That will open up more routes, more capital, newer planes and foreign will trained staff, otherwise PIA stands for Political Airline of worst type. Only used by Ministers, President and PM. As long as management in Pakistan PIA will keep on running in Pakistani style with more than 300 Billion rupee spend to transport PM, President and Ministers.
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Oct 10, 2017 12:02pm
PIA what a shame, first we have to sort out which employee appointed by which government, than which party? and at the end how many employed by professional basis without political backup. Then a plan be made out to hire every one new from Outside Pakistan. Steel Mill, PIA and all government run agencies like government hospital etc. are horror places.
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Oct 10, 2017 01:30pm
@MUHAMMAD : Your idea will not work, Sir. A passenger from South Asia, en route to the US, even with a valid US visa, will still have to take a Canada visa, if transiting a Canada point, even if the passenger is sitting in the aircraft, which has halted at an airport in Canada before proceeding to the US, The Canada visa takes nothing less than 35 days to obtain, for anyone from South Asia.
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Oct 11, 2017 12:08am
When people have choices, they will go for the better airlines. PIA is a disgrace, no sane person will travel with it unless he/she is forced to or has no choice. I have been living out of the country for close to 50 years, have traveled countless number of times to Pakistan but NEVER once by PIA. There must be others like me.
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Oct 11, 2017 06:09am
Plz dont do this. Whatever the services are, people here with kids and old members always prefer PIA. Its fares are fine because its the only direct flight from jfk to Lhr. Plz don't stop this route... I always travel through PIA and flight is 90% full. Why they r making myths. Plz think about your pardesi pakistanis living here , for God sake...
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