LAHORE: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has finalised the name of a public relations and media management firm which is likely to be assigned the task of improving its image, according to sources.

In the last week of October, PIA had invited bids from companies specialising in media management, crisis management and damage control/image building. The deadline for participating in the bidding process was Nov 17, but because of poor response the airline had to extend it.

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Six companies took part in the process and three of them — the CMC, Ad Group and Mediator — were shortlisted, a PIA official said on Friday. He said the PIA management had finalised the name of one of the companies which would be given the task of improving its image, especially in the local media which of late has been very critical of it.

The name of the successful bidder has yet to be disclosed.

PIA’s spokesman Hanif Rana did not offer any comment on the issue when Dawn contacted him.

He also did not appear, even though he had committed to, on a DawnNews programme about the state of affairs in the airline, saying he did not get permission from the management.

The sources said CMC was likely to be assigned the ‘difficult task’.

Some analysts are of the opinion that PIA, facing an accumulated loss of over Rs250 billion, should concentrate on improving its services instead of wasting money on PR activities.

Flight delays and cancellations, shortage of aircraft, suspension of some international routes, overstaffing and mismanagement are some of the problems afflicting the national carrier.

When contacted, CMC Vice President Faisal Siddiqui said his company was one of those shortlisted. “The bidding was conducted in a transparent manner.

“The company to be hired by PIA will be an external arm of its PR department and will help in its capacity building.”

Published in Dawn February 21th , 2015

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