PIA raises $130 million, offers 30% discount on late-night flights

KARACHI: Pakistan‘s national flag carrier said Monday it has raised $130 million in fresh financing from a banking consortium, as the airline staggers under the weight of earlier loans totalling more than $3 billion.

International Airlines (PIA) said in a statement the financing facility was arranged by ‘s United Bank Limited (UBL) and Credit Suisse Singapore as lead bankers, in addition to the state-run National Bank of .

“The (financing) facility… will be utilised by PIA for its general working capital requirements and in improvement in passenger services,” the  statement said.

However, a PIA official requesting anonymity said the fresh loan might be utilised to help settle earlier loans.

PIA’s cumulative loans stand at around Rs329 billion, or $3.16 billion. It suffers heavy financial losses annually, posting a Rs32 billion loss in 2015.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government tried to privatise the airline earlier this year but its 18,000 employees fiercely resisted.

Two employees were killed in February as police tried to clamp down on protesting employees outside the airline’s head office in Karachi.

PIA offers 30% discount on late-night flights 

PIA through an announcement has offered 30 percent special discount on late-night flights (between 00:00 to 06:00 hrs) on selected domestic routes between Karachi-Lahore, Karachi-Islamabad, Karachi-Multan and Karachi-Faisalabad, effective from Monday (today).