PIA, Etihad Airways ink codeshare agreement

KARACHI: The national carrier Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has reached a codeshare agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national airline Etihad Airways, the PIA spokesman apprised, ARY News reported.

The PIA spokesman informed that the agreement also includes cargo and a frequent flyer facility.

The agreement will be applicable from October 31, and the spokesman added it is a milestone for PIA.

The agreement would also be applicable for cargo services besides passenger flights. A frequent flyer program facility would also be available to the passengers in the codeshare network, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said that the partnership is for those routes where PIA flights don’t go directly, and PIA passengers would get a comprehensive travel facility through Etihad Airways’ wide network.

Furthermore, the agreement will result in an uptick in PIA earnings, the spokesman apprised.

Earlier, the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is expected to reach its final stage early next month.

Sources revealed that Arif Habib Limited, Fauji Fertilizer Company, Airblue, and Lucky Group are among the four contenders interested in acquiring a stake in the national carrier.

The interested firms have reportedly requested the government to ease certain conditions related to the privatization process. However, officials clarified that the PIA brand name will remain unchanged, and the national flag on its aircraft will not be removed.

According to sources, ownership of PIA will remain with Pakistani nationals, and foreign individuals or entities will not be allowed to participate as majority shareholders in the bidding process.

Earlier, the Privatization Commission Board had pre-qualified four investors for PIA’s privatization.

The Cabinet Committee on Privatization had also approved the transaction structure for the Roosevelt Hotel, marking a significant step forward in the government’s privatization agenda.

A statement from the Ministry of Privatization said the recent meetings of the Privatization Commission Board, chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization and Chairman Privatization Commission Muhammad Ali, underscored continued progress in key strategic transactions.