ISLAMABAD, May 31: The standing committee of the National Assembly on defence was Tuesday informed that the PIA would reduce the fares on international routes. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain presided over the meeting of the committee to review the matter of PIA fares on international routes and provision of quality accommodation to cabin crew.

The PIA chairman assured the committee that the national flag carrier would certainly make the fares competitive with other airlines in order to attract passengers. He said the PIA would shortly lower the fares for all international routes.

The committee, while discussing the arrangements for the accommodation of PIA cabin crew, directed the management to provide quality accommodation to the crew members.

The chairman apprised the committee that in the past years, cabin crew was provided accommodation at Hotel Pearl Continental, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar as per contract with the M/s Pakistan Services Limited. However, during the 3rd and 4th quarter of the year 2004, the PIA faced problems due to unilateral increase of fares by the hotel management by 300 per cent and also failed to oblige their contractual commitments, nevertheless, PIA swiftly made alternate arrangements in three-star hotels in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi to accommodate its cabin crew.

He assured the committee that the PIA would negotiate with the hotel management to decrease the room charges.—APP