ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has incurred more than Rs341 billion foreign and local liabilities as of June 30, 2016, the airline’s finance manager told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Thursday.

PIA Finance Manager Omar Bin Sadat told parliamentarians foreign liabilities stood at Rs71 billion and local liabilities are over 270 billion.

The committee met to ask the airline’s officials about the Federal Investigation Authority’s enquiries into alleged practices of corruption, discuss problems with dry and wet leases of aircrafts and the commercial restructuring of the national flag carrier.

However, senior officials from the PIA could not give satisfactory answers to the questions asked by members. Annoyed, the chairman of the committee, PML-N MNA Rana Mohammad Hayat Khan repeatedly raised his voice at the PIA officials for coming to the meeting unprepared.

“I have complained to the prime minister that the PIA is nothing more than a carrier of drugs,” MNA Khan said and asked why PIA officials did not have answers to the questions they were being asked.

He directed the secretary of the committee to lodge another complaint on behalf of the committee with the prime minister regarding the officials’ poor performance and not taking the meeting seriously.

PTI MNA Asad Omar was disappointed to learn no progress had been made during the last 12 months regarding the commercial restructuring of the PIA. “I have more information from last year on the restructuring of the PIA than the officials have now,” he said.

In his briefing, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General retired Air Marshal Asim Suleman said five international companies had expressed interest in operating PIA airports.

“These companies have extensive experience in operating both international and domestic airports. The CAA will keep regulatory control of the airports,” Mr Suleman said.

According to him, the National Aviation Policy 2015 provided an opportunity for the outsourcing of airports to world class airport operators of international standing through a transparent and competitive process. He maintained that the objective was to achieve better operability and enhanced efficiency at major airports.

He told the committee that the offer of the highest revenue share percentage will be considered.

“The CAA intends to hand over airport operations by June 2017,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2017