ISLAMABAD: Minister for Civil Aviation Division Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Friday said the government was working out a plan to reduce deficit of Rs416 billion of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) taking it out of the prevailing financial crisis.

He said a new business plan of PIA and Aviation approved by the cabinet would help the national flag carrier to improve its financial health.

Sarwar said that at present, Pakistan had Air Service Agreements (ASAs) with around 98 countries, covering aspects relating to the number of frequency, seats, landing points and code-share.

To a question, he said closure of airspace for Pakistan’s airline by India was more harmful for New Delhi.

We have only two flights using Indian airspace while most of the flights from India use Pakistan’s airspace, he added.

To another question, he said currently, PIA was operating its flights on 18 international routes including the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Qatar, China, Malaysia, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Canada.

He said first flight of British Airways would land at Pakistan International Airport on Monday (June 3) morning while the same day the flight would depart for London.

The minister said British Airways would operate three flights in a week from June after interval of a decade.

The minister said the PIA aircrafts would bring back about 300 Pakistanis languishing in Malaysian jails on May 29.

The Pakistanis in Malaysia would be airlifted through PIA’s Boeing 777 and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation had signed an agreement with the PIA in this regard, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019