TAXILA: Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said that new aviation policy will be announced soon under which the government will switch to fair sky policy from the existing Open Sky Policy.

He said that under the new policy equal opportunities would be provided to the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines and domestic air operators.

He said this while talking to newsmen at the TMA Hall here on Tuesday. He said that under the Open Sky Policy the domestic air operators, including the national flag carrier, did not enjoy enough space to expand their operations on various routes which caused them financial losses.

Responding to a question, he said that the present government wanted to revamp PIA and enhance its fleet to 45 by phasing in 14 new aircraft on gradual basis till 2025.

Sarwar says fair sky policy to benefit national flag carrier

The aviation minister said that PIA was on the path of revival as the state-owned airline had a lot of potential and opportunities for growth while the routes closed down by it were now being restored. He said that the management was also focused on adding new profitable routes to the network.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s US visit would play a key role in repairing the Pak-US bilateral relations which were not cordial in the past due to certain reasons. He said that the visit would not only improve the country’s image in the world community, but also ease its economic and financial sufferings. He added that all conspiracies to isolate Pakistan internationally would be failed with the PM’s visit and it would have a deep and positive effect on the regional situation, especially South Asia.

He said that the civil and military leadership was on the same page at the time of the strategic visit. He said that Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit to Pentagon would repair the military relationship between the two countries.

Answering a question, Sarwar Khan said that the accountability process would continue and there would be no NRO for anyone.

“The previous rulers looted the country with both hands and today when they are being caught for their misdeeds they have started making hue and cry,” he said and added that the government was moving in the right direction. He claimed that the PTI government would not disappoint the people and would come up to their expectations.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2019