Tag: PIA

  • Coronavirus: PIA suffers Rs2 billion loss

    Coronavirus: PIA suffers Rs2 billion loss

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suffered a loss of Rs2 billion following the suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the coronavirus-triggered temporary ban on Umrah.

    PIA officials told reporters on Tuesday that the airlines’ schedule had been seriously disturbed as tickets of 50,000 passengers had been cancelled so far. They further said that 34 flights to Medina and 13 to Mecca were scheduled weekly for business visa and iqama holders despite fewer passengers.

    Meanwhile, after Iran and Qatar, PIA has decided to temporarily suspend flight operations to Italy to keep a check on coronavirus.

    PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said in a press release that the national carrier had temporarily suspended its flight operation to and from Milan till March 31. However, he said the passengers having the nationality of any European country could travel to Paris by PIA flights.

    He said on reaching Paris, the passengers would have to manage their onward journey on their own.  The passengers, who had reserved their seats for Pakistan from Milan, would have to travel to Paris on their own to catch a PIA flight.

  • Coronavirus: PIA suspends flight operations to Beijing till March 15

    Coronavirus: PIA suspends flight operations to Beijing till March 15

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Monday announced to once again suspend flight operations to China till March 15, journalist Sophia Saifi and Geo News reported.

    Reports quoted a PIA spokesperson as saying that a decision about extending or ending the suspension would be taken after reviewing the situation.

    “PIA has suspended flights to Beijing till March 15,” Geo reported.

    The decision comes amid the spread of the deadly virus to another neighbouring country, Iran, where the death toll rose to eight since the infection was reported on Wednesday last week.

    Last month, Pakistan had suspended operations to China briefly amid coronavirus outbreak and allowed airlines to resume flights only after installing screening machines at airports.

  • Naya Pakistan? Irregularities worth over Rs6 billion detected in PIA accounts

    Naya Pakistan? Irregularities worth over Rs6 billion detected in PIA accounts

    The Directorate General of Commercial Audit and Evaluation (South) Karachi — a department of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) — has pointed out 16 irregularities worth whopping Rs6.85 billion in the accounts of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), The News reported.

    According to the report, besides financial irregularities, numerous serious violations of rules and regulations have also been noticed and reported in hiring, promotions and postings of staffers of the national carrier, 87 per cent shares of which are owned by the government of Pakistan.

    The Directorate General of Commercial Audit and Evaluation has audited PIA’s accounts and scrutinised its affairs after receiving several complaints regarding accounts of PIA Corporation in Islamabad and Karachi.

    It has observed that PIA suffered an operating loss worth Rs5,282 million, noticing that the appointment of the national airliner’s chief executive officer (CEO) was irregular and dual benefits worth Rs2.9 million were awarded to him against rules, PIA had suffered a loss of Rs71.866 million due to illegitimate elevation of allowances and benefits of officers on deputation from Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

    It further pointed out that the national flag carrier had suffered another loss of Rs1.24 million due to the holding of dual jobs/services by a regular employee of PIACL and withdrawal of unjustified salaries from both sides, and the fraudulent settlement of advances paid to the district managers of PIA, Rawalpindi, had inflicted a loss of Rs 1.638 million to the organisation.

  • Special PIA flight brings back 113 prisoners from Malaysia

    Special PIA flight brings back 113 prisoners from Malaysia

    A special flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) brought back 113 stranded Pakistani prisoners from Malaysia. The flight brought back the Pakistanis from Kuala Lampur to Islamabad after the Malaysian government approved their amnesty.

    According to reports, Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari instructed the Pakistan High Commission in Malaysia to make all the arrangements to bring back maximum number of Pakistani prisoners after registering them under the Malaysian Royal Amnesty Scheme. Most of the detainees were stuck in Malaysia after their visas expired while others were involved in petty crimes and had served their sentences but were unable to come back due to lack of funds.

    A large number of family members of the deportees were present at the airport to receive their loved ones. The Pakistani deportees were shouting slogans in favor of PM Khan.

    The Press Information Department also shared that “Earlier this year, 320 Pakistani nationals were repatriated that makes a total of 8,190 Pakistani nationals released by Malaysian authorities till date.”

    Pakistan and
    Malaysia have close mutual ties which were more improved when Prime Minister
    Imran Khan signed several agreements with the Malaysian government during his
    visit to the country in November this year.

  • PIA suffered losses worth Rs32.7bn in first half of 2019: report

    PIA suffered losses worth Rs32.7bn in first half of 2019: report

    Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and its subsidiary, PIA Investments Limited, continue to bleed massively due to a variety of reasons, ranging from mismanagement to lack of transparency and weak audit controls by independent auditors as well as the auditor general of pakistan, Profit reported.

    According to reports, PIA’s before tax unaudited six-month loss for the period January-June 2019 stands at Rs32.746 billion, which, after taxation, is expected to be in the range of Rs38-39 billion. Although PIA revenue generation in this period has risen by 44pc in terms of Pak Rupee, it does not reflect the actual revenue since almost 55-60pc of its revenue is earned in hard foreign currency through sales at its various international outlets and travel agents.

    Rupee devaluation as compared to 2018 is in the range of approximately 39-40pc, while the cost of fuel has increased by over 19pc. PIA route miles decreased as compared to 2018.

    According to the annual report of PIA for 2018, the national flag carrier registered a total loss of Rs. 59.685 billion. It was the highest ever loss for PIA since the years 2008-2011 when it was headed by Ijaz Haroon and Nadeem Yousafzai, the former MDs who were allegedly involved in financial embezzlements causing losses of billions to the national exchequer.

    Mismanagement, lack of transparency, and weak audit controls remain the underlying reasons that impede PIA in becoming a profitable organization.

    Since 2015, PIA Investments Limited, a subsidiary of PIA, has also registered losses while the senior management continues to enjoy all kinds of perks and bonuses. Dr. Najeeb Samie, the current MD of PIA Investments Limited, was set to retire in 2015. However, because of his connections, Dr. Najeeb managed to receive extensions in his retirement. Dr. Najeeb is a member of the board of directors of HBL and also serves as a director in several tourism entities in France and the USA.

    Perhaps that is why the meetings of the board of directors of PIA Investments Limited have always been held in either New York or Paris and never in Pakistan. Not only is this a violation of rules of PIA Investments Limited but it also prevents the Auditor General of Pakistan to be a part of these meetings. In the meeting of the board of directors, a summary of the accounts in the past 6 months, pricing mechanisms, and quantification of the expenditures of the organization were discussed.

    Moreover, since the days of Ijaz Haroon, unqualified individuals have been appointed as Chief Internal Auditors. The primary requirement for an individual to be installed at this post is that they must be a qualified Chartered Accountant. So far, MBA graduates and audit diploma holders have been chosen to conduct internal audits of the PIA.

    The board of audit hasn’t met in 2019. Audit experts have expressed serious concerns that no meeting of the Audit Board of PIA has been held yet.

    The only positive point in the report is that PIA’s revenue increased by 44% during the first six months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. However, nearly 60% of this revenue was earned in foreign currency through international sales. The revenue from January to June was hit by a 40% rupee devaluation and a 19% increase in the cost of fuel in comparison to H1 2018.

  • PIA fines passenger over smoking in flight

    PIA fines passenger over smoking in flight

    A British-Pakistani traveler on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight was briefly detained and then charged Rs. 10,000 fine for smoking during a flight.

    As per reports, a British-origin Pakistani Raza Ahsan was traveling from Birmingham to Islamabad. Ahsan went to the airplane’s bathroom to smoke a cigarette. Other passengers complained of the smoke coming out of the lavatory.

     The crew made him came out of the toilet and later confiscated his passport. Upon landing at the Islamabad International Airport, he was briefly detained by the Airport Security Force (ASF). The passenger received his passport back after he paid a fine of Rs. 10,000 for risking the plane safety.

    As per PIA officials, this is the first penalty for inflight
    smoking in the history of the airline. The official said that the act was
    against international aviation laws and could lead to any disastrous situation.

  • London bridge attacker laid to rest in Pakistan

    London bridge attacker laid to rest in Pakistan

    British national Usman Khan who attacked people on London Bridge was laid to rest in his family’s ancestral village in a southern district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, the body of the 28-year-old Usman was brought by his family from Islamabad airport to Kijlani village in district Kotli where the funeral took place at 4pm, following which he was buried in a local graveyard.

    Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) General Manager Public Relations Abdul Hafeez has said that Usman Khan’s body was shifted to Islamabad from London aboard a PIA flight PK-792, which was later handed over to his family.

    Abdul Hafeez said that it was the PIA’s policy that it carried bodies on the basis of genuine documentation, including foreign-origin card of the deceased and Pakistan High Com­mission’s letter.

    The body was handed over to his relatives after passing through the immigration and customs process.

    Usman’s relatives drove the body to the town of Kotli for burial as his family didn’t want to bury him in the United Kingdom (UK). His funeral prayers were earlier offered in a Birmingham mosque.

    After Usman’s funeral people, on social media have pointed out that the government had earlier tried to cover up the fact that the London Bridge attacker was a Pakistani and now they have allowed him burial in the country.

    Usman Khan had earlier stabbed two people to death and left three others injured in an attack in London. He had been residing in the Staffordshire area of UK.

    According to reports, Khan was part of a gang of nine extremists, mostly of Bangladeshi origin, who were sentenced in February 2012 after being convicted. However, he was released in December 2018, but was required to wear a GPS [an electronic tag].

    After the London Bridge attack, Usman was shot dead by security personnel.

  • Blacklisted American woman lies on floor in Islamabad Airport to protest deportation

    An 80-year-old woman, Murray Maude, flew in from Manchester via Pakistan International Airlines to Islamabad on Sunday and was intercepted by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) immigration officers.

    She was told that she was on the blacklist and had to be deported back to the United States. After being told of her deportation she refused to fly back and started screaming. Lying down on the floor of the airport, she insisted that she be allowed to remain in Pakistan.

    Reported by ARY News

    US Embassy officials were called and they tried to convince Murray to go back but she refused to listen.

    ARY News reports that their sources say she she had visited in Pakistan in 2001 on a six month visa but remained in the country after her visa expired. She lived in Pakistan for 12 years, till 2013, after which she was put on the blacklist by the FIA.

    PIA Spokesperson said that Murray will be sent back on Monday. Until then she’s being taken care of by airport officials.

  • PIA launches a mobile app for booking flights

    PIA launches a mobile app for booking flights

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced a mobile application to facilitate passengers in online bookings and confirmation of seats.

    The PIA app features a user-friendly interface. It allows the user to perform several functions, including booking their flight directly from their mobile phones, checking their booking status, and monitoring the status of their flight.

    “The application has recently been launched and now the air passengers will enjoy improved services. The airline’s overall seat factor has improved and reached nearly 84 percent while on some sectors, the seat factor is at 90 percent,” a PIA spokesman told state-run wire service.

    As per reports, significant improvement was obvious in different pointers like seat occupancy ratio, aircraft utilization, cargo load factor and customer service.

    The mobile app even generates a digital boarding pass for an easier check-in experience.

  • PIA announces 10% discount on defence day

    PIA announces 10% discount on defence day

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a 10 percent discount on its tickets on the occasion of Defence Day. This concession will remain in effect for three days, from 6th to 9th September 2019.

    As per reports, the discounted fares will be available on all of its domestic routes. Moreover, the expats traveling to Pakistan from foreign countries can also avail this offer.

    However, it is not valid for travelers coming from Saudi Arabia.