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