IT’s open season for PIA bashing. Mr. Aminullah Chowdry, former DGCA, is in the forefront. In his article, ‘PIA’s Great Mess’ ( May 7), he says: PK 308 narrowly avoided a serious accident when one of its engines caught fire.

Actually one of the engines had ‘starter’ problems. The ‘starter’ was rectified and the aeroplane returned for takeoff.

The slightest indication of fire triggers a very loud alarm bell in the cockpit. Bright red lights flash on every panel. At the pressing of a button fire extinguishers completely flood the engine.

The aircraft has to be grounded and the engine replaced.

The flight cannot possibly continue; this flight did. There was no fire.

Temperatures in the turbines of a jet engine reach many thousand degrees. The closed space inside a stationary aircraft does get claustrophobic. A high-strung passenger viewing the glow in the tailpipe from the rear can easily interpret it as an engine-fire.

We shouldn’t rush to take his word for it.

Nowhere else in the world does a delay because of a ‘failed starter’, engine failure or rejected takeoff, etc, become ‘breaking news’ even with the Chief Justice or an equivalent VIP on board.

Airlines like the KLM and Air France operate mainly from international airports. Their domestic operations are also from well-equipped airports with all maintenance facilities. To compare them with PIA is unfair.

PIA has a vast domestic sector where airports like Pasni and Gwadar are mere landing strips in the desert with nothing but sand and pebbles.

Airports like Gilgit and Skardu are tucked away inside the highest mountain terrain in the world. Maintenance facilities are negligible. The wear and tear is tremendous.

Over-employment and cronyism has been rampant. PIA coped because of its pay structure whereby it could afford to employ four workers on the salary of just one of the competing airlines.

The real crunch came when Gen Ziaul Haq declared the airline ‘dry’. PIA lost all its western passengers and many others overnight.

International airlines have no religion. They pamper all their passengers. Kosher/‘halal’ meals are provided for Jewish and Muslim passengers; vegetarian cuisine for the Hindus.

A Christian has a glass of wine with his meal if he wants to. Airlines from Muslim countries like Gulf Air, Emirates, Qatar and Ittehad have no qualms about this.

PIA was still competing with these airlines albeit with one hand tied behind their back.

It was the ‘Open Skies’ policy that broke PIA’s back. Our erstwhile director-general takes the credit. He claims opening Karachi and the Northern gateways to Middle East carriers; but why?

No other sane country does it. Try operating an extra flight to London or Los Angeles via any gateway!

If this atrocity of ‘open skies’ is withdrawn and PIA is allowed to provide the same service to its passengers as the airlines mentioned by the DG, it would become profitable within months notwithstanding his long tirade of negatives against the PIA.

CAPT. S. AFAQ RIZVI Karachi