CEO PIA says some loss-making routes of airlines closed

ISLAMABAD: Chairman and CEO Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik on Tuesday said that some loss-making PIA routes have been closed. 

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Aviation, Mohammad Mian Soomro in Islamabad, Air Marshal Arshad Malik said that a corruption mafia was active in the PIA and the airlines was bearing huge losses in its operations on a number of loss-making routes.

“We also came to know about shortage of the professionals in the organization,” he said.

The complaints about misbehavior with passengers was a routine. There were reports about removal of engines from the aircraft and disappearance of parts, he said.

There was an extreme lack of interest to run the airlines. Even there were equipment, which expired in a packed condition, CEO Malik said.

The PIA was making 300 to 500 million rupees losses at various routes so as, a number of loss-making routes have been curtailed to minimize the losses, CEO PIA said.

The flights on some other routes have been restarted, while more will be started soon, he further said.

The PIA CEO in an earlier address at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry had said that revival of the airline was a daunting task.

He said getting rid of seven loss-making routes was his first priority. He said three direct flights from Faisalabad to Jeddah would be introduced from Feb 15.

He said 18,000 workers were on the payroll of the airline, which was high as compared to the international standards.