A delegation of foreign experts will arrive in Pakistan on Monday (today) to devise a five-year corporate business plan for cash-strapped Pakistan International Airline (PIA).
According to reports, the four-member team is arriving in Pakistan on the invitation of Dr Ishat Hussain, advisor to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on institutional reforms. They will stay in the country for 12 days to develop the plan for the national carrier.
The team will review the business model and also meet government officials at the finance ministry as well as the airline’s chief executive officer (CEO), Air Marshal Arshad Malik.
They will devise a business plan for the airline to make it profitable and sustainable. “We will be following the government’s directives on restructuring and reforms in the airline,” reports quoted them as saying.
It is pertinent to note that Dr Hussain is supervising the reforms in PIA. Back in November 2019, the airline had sought the services of a reputed international firm with extensive aviation consulting experience to prepare a five-year corporate business plan through a tender.
The objective was to revive PIA as a leading international airline, and enable it to play an important role in the country’s struggling economy.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots have spotted and unidentified flying object (UFO) flying at 35,000 feet above Karachi.
According to ProPakistani, the “foo fighter” — a term used by Allied aircraft pilots during World War II to describe UFOs or mysterious aerial phenomena seen in the skies over both the European and Pacific theaters of operations — was a white round object above the jet which the plane’s captain noticed on Sunday.
The flight crew immediately started filming the object and after landing found that similar sightings had been reported in the past across the world.
The flight captain said that the round object had a metal ring around it and was emitting white light from the center.
He added that it was difficult to determine whether the object was hovering or moving slowly due to relative motion.
Sharing the video of the incident, UFO hunter and blogger Scott Waring said that PIA pilots had provided the most focused photo of a foo fighter in the history of UFO research.
He added that it “proved that aliens follow planes and keep a close eye on human activities”.
The Pakistani aviation industry is still suffering from the fallout of a controversial statement made by the aviation minister last year wherein he had accused the Pakistani pilots of having fake credentials.
In the latest blow to the aviation sector, the United Nations has asked its staffers to avoid travelling on the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other airlines registered in Pakistan.
Ghulam Sarwar, the aviation minister, had made the controversial statement in parliament in the aftermath of a deadly aircraft crash in Karachi that had resulted in the death of at least 98 people. Following the crash, the minister had blamed the pilot for the crash and said most pilots in the PIA didn’t even a required qualification to fly the planes.
His statement created an uproar, resulting in a ban on Pakistani pilots. The ban in Europe still persists.
A report in Geo News quoted an advisory issued by the UN Security Management System asking its employees to stop using the Pakistani airlines for travelling.
“Due to an ongoing investigation of the CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] Pakistan…due to dubious licenses caution is advised on the use of Pakistan-registered air operators,” said the statement.
The advisory has been issued for all Pakistan-registered carriers and has been recommended to all the UN agencies, including the UN Development Programme, World Health Organization, UN High Commission for Refugees, Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization and others.
The advisory by the UN also drew flak by a journalist who covers the aviation beat. Tahir Imran said that the advisory was “created by some dumb official at the UN” because it includes “cargo airlines” as well.
It seems some dumb official at UN created this advisory. Who travels on cargo airlines? Unless there are heavyweights working with UN Pakistan who need cargo aircraft to travel around. I mean how people could be so dumb? And Air Indus? It’s defunct since ages. pic.twitter.com/62dTgJlPbj
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) jet was on Friday impounded by Malaysian authorities, minutes before it took off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
According to media reports, the Boeing-777 was confiscated over the national carrier of Pakistan’s failure to pay leasing dues to a Vietnamese company, and on the orders of a Malaysian court.
ملائیشین حکام نے پی آئی اے کا طیارہ تحویل میں لے لیا، لیز کے واجبات ادا نہ کرنے پر پی آئی اے کا طیارہ تحویل میں لیا گیا، ملائیشیا میں پی آئی اے کا طیارہ ویتنامی کمپنی سے لیز پر لیا گیا تھا#DunyaUpdates#DunyaNews
PIA had leased two aircraft, including the Boeing-777, from the company in 2015.
“Flight was ready for departure with passengers on board and when authorities came on board & informed the crew that they are not allowed to depart,” journalist Mubashir Zaidi claimed.
A #PIA Boeing 777 is impounded by Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur as the leasing company has not been paid the lease amount. Flight was ready for departure with passengers on board and when authorities came on board & informed the crew that they are not allowed to depart.
The aircraft’s 18-member staff also become stranded in Kuala Lumpur due to the seizure, and will now quarantine for 14 days as per protocols, Geo reported.
Meanwhile, PIA confirmed that the aircraft has been held back on the orders of a local court in Malaysia that “took a one-sided decision pertaining to a legal dispute between PIA and another party pending in a United Kingdom (UK) court”.
A PIA aircraft has been held back by a local court in Malaysia taking one sided decision pertaining to a legal dispute between PIA and another party pending in a UK court.
The passengers are being looked after and alternate arrangements for their travel have been finalized.
In a subsequent tweet, the national carrier termed the situation as “unacceptable” and said that the government of Pakistan had been approached to take up the matter using diplomatic channels.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flew its plane from Islamabad to Manchester with only one passenger on board. According to reports, the plane which had a capacity of 371 passengers carried only one passenger to the destination.
While Geo News has reported that the flight took off from Islamabad, journalist Murtaza Ali Shah said that the plane flew from Manchester to Islamabad.
In the video posted by Shah, a PIA’s staffer, while pointing towards other empty 370 passenger seat, remarks that the passenger on board is the “lucky” one. The only passenger on the flight was a native of Gujrat.
Meanwhile prominent aviation journalist Tahir Imran Mian said PIA’s flight was not the only one that flew empty.
Most of the flights these days are dead. On 22nd December only 2 passengers travelled on Virgin Atlantic flight from Manchester VS362. I wonder why they don’t cancel it. https://t.co/yjnWfdyKzc
A rather tough year has came to an end, surprisingly, in the blink of an eye.
But while it negates the belief that hard times pass slow, here are all the major updates that added to the very happening COVID-19-infected year as most of the world stayed indoors.
Extension for Gen Bajwa
After some drama following earlier reservations, the Supreme Court (SC) on November 28, 2019 approved a short 6-month extension in General Bajwa’s term as the chief of army staff.
Subsequently, on January 7, 2020, the National Assembly passed three bills concerning the tenure of the three services chiefs — chief of army staff, chief of air staff and chief of naval staff — and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee.
Gen Bajwa was granted extension up to three years till November 29, 2022.
Surprisingly though, the two major opposition parties — PML-N and PPP — were on board for the changes which was why the bills faced no resistance even in the opposition-dominated Senate.
Smooth sailing of the Army Act was also what prompted Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda to bring with him an army boot to a live talkshow.
Coronavirus
After wreaking havoc in China and beginning to do the same in Europe as well as the worst-hit US, the first case of COVID-19 was reported from Karachi on February 26, 2020. Hundreds of thousands of infections and several deaths were reported.
Prominent figures were also on the list of COVID-19 patients.
While Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s smart lockdowns stay in place to deal with the pandemic but not at the cost of livelihoods, it is too early to predict what 2021 would hold for Pakistan with vaccines rolling out but also the discovery of a new strand of the virus.
Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said the pilots of the Karachi-bound PK8308 flight of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Lahore were distracted while talking about coronavirus.
The passenger plane came down on houses in Karachi with only two survivors. Subsequent investigations into the licenses of Pakistani pilots led to the grounding of hundreds across the globe and the imposition of a temporary ban on PIA flights to Europe and the United States (US).
While blame games continued as authorities hesitated to take responsibility for the misery of people of the country’s largest city, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said it wanted all stakeholders to contribute to ameliorating the situation instead of politicising a “pure natural disaster”.
The situation was improved after the intervention of the federal government and a military-aided rescue operation.
Opposition Alliance
The year also witnessed a rather common sight in Pakistan when opposition parties put their differences aside in an attempt to oust the PTI government.
After a round of meetings, almost all opposition parties, including PPP, PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Balochistan National Party among others, launched a series of countrywide protests.
The foremost demand of the 11-party alliance, named Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), is the resignation of “selected” Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. It has threatened to march to Islamabad if the premier doesn’t resign before midnight on December 31 (today).
While the opposition seems satisfied with its anti-government campaign, the government is confident of cracks emerging within PDM ranks before it could pose an actual threat.
Khadim Rizvi’s Death
Renowned cleric and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi passed away on November 19.
Earlier it was reported that he was suffering from high-grade fever for the past couple of days, which had led to speculations if he was suffering from COVID-19.
While the cause of his sudden death was not determined, his funeral prayers in Lahore were attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters from across the globe, adding to COVID-19 superspreader event fears.
Rizvi, who had returned from a sit-in protest against French president’s take on blasphemy a day before his death, was known for his aggressive speeches besides promotion of extremist element in the religio-political landscape of the country.
Legendary French fashion designer Pierre Cardin passed away at the age of 98 on Tuesday at a hospital in Neuilly in western Paris.
Confirming the news, his family in a statement said: “It is a day of great sadness for all our family. Pierre Cardin is no more. Italian by birth, Pierre Cardin never forgot his origins while bringing unconditional love to France.”
Despite coming from a lower middle-class background, Cardin managed to make big name for himself in the fashion industry, particularly in the 1960s and ’70s, when he upended traditional fashion with his futuristic, avant-garde looks. He became known for his visionary creations, shaking up fashion with bubble dresses and geometrical designs.
During that time, Cardin also made contributions to the Pakistani fashion industry and designed uniforms for Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) staff. According to the website history of PIA, uniforms designed by Cardin were the official uniform of PIA’s staff from 1966 to 1975.
“In 1966, Pierre Cardin, the renowned French fashion designer, came up with the legendary fawn colour uniform for summer and moss green uniform for winter,” reads a post on the website. “The uniform consisted of a short, easy fitting “A” line tunic, slim-line trousers and imaginatively moulded dupatta that not only covered heads but also turned heads.”
“The uniform became an instant hit and the slim-line trousers were dubbed as ‘PIA Pajamas’. Fashion-conscious young ladies, all across Pakistan, copied Cardin’s design eagerly,” it adds.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reduced its fares for domestic flights by 30%to facilitate passengers during the winter holidays. The airline has introduced special fares on domestic flights operating between Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Peshawar from December 3 (Thursday) onwards.
Passengers would now be able to travel between these cities on a one-way minimum fare of Rs8,500 and a round trip minimum fare of Rs17,000. Previously, charges were Rs12,275 and Rs24,600 for the same.
PIA Spokesperson Abdullah Khan said that the purpose of discounted fares is to facilitate the people travelling to their homes during holidays. He said people can benefit from these fares on a first come first serve basis.
Pakistan has approved funding of about $81 million in cash to support flagship carrier Pakistan International Airlines’ planned voluntary redundancy scheme, which could affect thousands of jobs.
The loss-making carrier has been looking to reduce costs, particularly since the impact of the pandemic, as well as the fallout from a fake pilot credentials scandal.
PIA is aiming to cut roughly one-third of its workforce, Reuters reported, which would reduce the airline’s headcount to roughly 7,000-7,500 employees from the around 11,000 staff PIA said it employed in its 2019 annual report.
The government has approved Rs12.87 billion ($81.46 million) in funding for the airline to move forward on the voluntary retirement scheme, the news agency reported.
In a statement on Tuesday, the government said: “After … discussion, it was decided to approve, in principal, the voluntary separation from service scheme for PIA.”
PIA said it was looking to reduce its aircraft to employee ratio to 250 employees per aircraft. PIA spokesman Abdullah H. Khan said the scheme was part of the airline’s plan to restructure and bring employee numbers closer to industry standards.
“Employees will be offered an attractive voluntary separation scheme and people would have 14 days to avail (themselves of) the offer,” Khan told Reuters.
The targeted staff ratio is high compared with neighbouring India, where Air India has roughly 130 employees per aircraft, based on Indian government data.
In a business plan submitted to the government last year, PIA said it was looking to have fewer than 5,500 people working on 45 aircraft – or fewer than 125 employees per aircraft – by 2021.
The government statement on Tuesday gave no further details on the redundancy scheme or how many pilots or other categories of staff would be affected.
Earlier this year, the government said PIA had a total of 434 pilots. Some of their jobs have been terminated in an ongoing process of investigating their credentials.
The pilot scandal has tainted Pakistan’s aviation industry and stung PIA, which has been barred from flying to Europe and the United States after dozens of its pilots were named by the country’s own civil aviation regulator for holding allegedly “dubious” licences.
Pakistan’s pilots union, which raised questions on the investigation, cast doubts over the voluntary redundancy scheme.
“I think this scheme will fail as it would take two and half years to complete,” Captain Salman Riaz, president of the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association, told Reuters in a message.
PIA’s move comes as other airlines globally cut costs sharply amid travel restrictions and a collapse in global air travel during the pandemic.
The federal cabinet is likely to take a decision regarding the hefty Rs500 billion debt burden on the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
According to reports, PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal (r) Arshad Mahmood Malik will brief the federal cabinet, scheduled to meet today (Tuesday), about restructuring reforms introduced in the national carrier to make it self-sustainable “without seeking financial help from the government”.
“Even with operational profits, the airline will not not be able to come out of the financial quagmire,” reports quoted sources as saying. “The burden of debt servicing is unsustainable.”
They said the cabinet would also be briefed on the airline’s foodservice division (FSD), technical ground service (TGS), base management of the engineering department, revenue enhancement strategies, human resource restructuring, financial restructuring, and measures pertaining to Precision Engineering Complex (PEC).
The PIA management has been evaluating the possibility of giving a management contract of food services at Karachi and Islamabad. While this will not generate much in terms of cost-saving, it will definitely improve product quality and customer satisfaction.
Similarly, the PIA management has been evaluating the possibility of giving an operation and management contract for technical ground service.
Reports said the airline is also evaluating different options to get out of the courier business which was launched by PIA in 2003. It has been considering outsourcing or partnering options for Speedex.
Moreover, they added, the airline is tackling revenue enhancement strategies, route rationalisation, product improvement, yield enhancement, enhanced focus on corporate business, network optimisation, ancillary revenue, codeshare of the alliance to expand the network, revamping of web business portal and offering special packages for online users and reduction in distribution cost by implementing HITIT portal plus.
