COVID-19 effects: CEO PIA announces to introduce voluntary separation scheme

KARACHI: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pakistan International Airlines Arshad Malik on Wednesday announced to introduce a voluntary separation scheme (VSS) in the PIA amid financial loss due to coronavirus pandemic.

Malik in his video message to the employees of the PIA, said today, the aviation industry is passing through crunch time and facing many challenges after the emergence of the COVID-19 late last year.

The scheme will give an opportunity to the permanent employees of the PIA to voluntarily retire from their services along with a handsome package.

In his supporting argument to the VSS, CEO PIA said that the scheme is aimed at generating profit and saving the airlines from being bankrupt.

“65 per cent (14,000) aeroplanes across the world have been grounded due to pandemic”, Arshad Malik said and added that income of airlines to decrease by $419bn this year.

Fearing light chances of the betterment in the PIA till 2023, he said the national flag carrier can only be saved through concrete measures, not by magic.

Meanwhile, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) would take up the issue of the voluntary separation scheme (VSS) proposal for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees in its meeting today.

PIA CEO Arshad Malik would brief the ECC regarding the scheme.