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RAWALPINDI: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Abbasi on Thursday said that the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suffered major losses due to the open skies policy, adding that no foreign country or airline would be granted any additional rights without justification.
Speaking at the national flag carrier’s marketing conference, he said the PIA could only succeed with the support and joint efforts of employees and advised them to take ownership of their organisation. There was a dire need to eradicate favouritism and promote merit in all spheres of the airline, he said.
The conference was attended by marketing station heads from domestic and international destinations where they presented their respective stations’ performance, activities and future plan of action.
The PIA, said Mr Abbasi, must expand its network to cater to the demand that exists in the market.
He congratulated the PIA management, especially the acting chief executive officer Nayyar Hayat and acting chief commercial officer Tahir Niaz, for bringing improvements to the airline. The national carrier, he said, was moving in the right direction and would soon achieve new heights.
Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2017
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Comments (12) Closed
Jul 21, 2017 11:22am
Patriotism with respect to PIA is required. It is a legacy of the land and must be maintained.
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Jul 21, 2017 11:29am
No open sky policy would have given government run PIA complete monopoly and air travel would have come to an extinct in Pakistan. This would only have added misery to people of Pakistan already deprived of other facilities
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Jul 21, 2017 11:48am
Please overhal all engine of plane and don't try one engine fly.. these cost cuts really cut off passenger flow. On board hygiene must do.
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Jul 21, 2017 11:55am
I am wondering when will CEO of PIA return to face the allegations, and if he has no plans to return, does the govt has any plan to make it happen?
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Jul 21, 2017 12:05pm
Patriotism is the last stand of a scoundrel
Improve your service and standard people will favor travelling with PIA
My family just traveled to Canada business class in pIA. The TV display were not working. One was upside down. The male steward in the business class was the rudest person encountered. Family was travelling with children and an aged person. No food was served for 9 hours until they were approached. And only sandwiches. Maybe it was Ramadan?
The business class price was same as Emirates or Etihead, yet the seats and service were of a bus.
A complaint card was filled for the steward, let's see if PIA can take any action, which I seriously doubt as their Union will intervene and the management will back off.
With such ignorance and pathetic service, why would one expect to travel abroad in PIA.
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Jul 21, 2017 12:27pm
So we are expected to believe that cases of heroin smuggling, pilots bringing guests to cockpit, sub-standard service and a lot more are happening due to open skies policy?
This is absolute rubbish. In this age you cannot just run organizations based on patriotism - actual performance is what you need and PIA has little to none of that.
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Jul 21, 2017 12:31pm
@Reality Unfortunately, the present PIA has become a liability to the nation rather than a proud legacy., Did you know that if you travel with PIA to any Western destination, you are more likely to be quizzed and your luggage are likely to be more thoroughly searched, than if you traveled with any Gulf carriers?
The long history of drugs being smuggled on board PIA flights, the in flight scuffles between unruly Pakistani passengers, misbehaving staff, ruined reputation and bad image of the airline these days is not much to brag about. PIA jet are also more closely monitored and screened when they are on foreign soil. So be patriotic all you want. But at a price!
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Jul 21, 2017 12:38pm
In my opinion PIA is simply a white elephant. Why open skies policy is hurting only PIA not any other Pakistan's privately owned airlines which are operating nationally & internationally and still making profits. PIA must stop acting like a parasite. Open skies are bilateral agreements and this is the sheer incompetency of PIA that they are unable to make any advantage out of it.
On the other hand the statement from the minister is startling and is a consequence of his tunnel eye vision. Open skies agreements result in several benefits to country which include promoting trade and travel, more job opportunities and economic growth. It allows airlines to provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient air service for consumers and someone doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to imagine the service level by PIA if government monopolize the Pakistani skies.
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Jul 21, 2017 12:44pm
We have lost the game. To go anywhete by air and ypu have to touvh down in the middle east. PIA direct flights are too expensive and hard to book.
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Jul 21, 2017 01:03pm
Dear Mehtab Abbasi ??
I have booked my ticket by PIA from London to Karachi-Peshawar and return (same route). By the time, I booked my seat I had two hours transit at Karachi for onward journey to Peshawar and a little more transit time for the return journey. After a week, I've been told that my inbound journey transit is changed. Now 10 hours and shockingly return I have to wait more than a day for connecting flight at Karachi. On my request for a hotel, I've been refused.
Initially, I had choice to travel by four middle-eastern and Turkish airlines but my patriotism made me choose PIA. I am dreading my flight's arrival at Karachi, after a long journey and exiting the arrivals terminal, I have to wait 10 hrs on plastic chairs in the open verandas of Jinnah international as ASF won't let me enter the Domestic departures unless the flight is due few hours before the flight.
Where, if I had chosen any middle-eastern airline, one can rest and sleep in designated rest areas.
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Jul 21, 2017 02:46pm
Damage has been done. Please ask Mussadullah Ex employee of PIA, who based Managers in Paris, London, New York and who are they.
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Jul 21, 2017 04:46pm
Instead of free-market economy, why do these guys always vouch for restrictions and regulations all the times?
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