Oct 28(ABC): Poor management of passengers and other issues led the national flag carrier to bear nearly £11.364 million in losses in the UK over five years.
This was disclosed on Thursday during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation. The committee met at the Parliament Lodges with Senator Hidayatullah in the chair. Others who attended the meeting included Senator Saifullah Abro, Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan, and senior officers belonging to the Ministry of Aviation, were invited to participate in the meeting.
During the meeting, issues relating to the aviation sector, particularly the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were discussed.
Indian plane
During the meeting, the issue of an ‘Indian’ plane arriving in Pakistan on August 15 was discussed and the security challenges it poses.
Officials from the aviation division clarified that the aircraft was not ‘Indian’. The officials assured committee members that a set of standard procedures and security obligations are catered to before an aircraft is allowed to to enter Pakistani airspace.
Furthermore, the officers explained that the aircraft was a private charter and that it only flew into Pakistan from India. They added that since chartered flights are quite expensive, to save on costs, when a plane is booked, the plane located closest to the airport of call is dispatched.
To seek greater clarity on security protocols and ensure their implementation in all instances, the committee decided to summon representatives of Customs and the Airport Security Force (ASF) at the next meeting of the committee.
PIA losses
Aviation officials told the committee that PIA had lost around £11.364 million in the UK from 2017 to 2021.
When asked about why such heavy losses were incurred, the officials said that passenger layover and uninsured losses relating to lost or damaged baggage were the main driving factors.
Quetta route
Earlier, Senator Umer Farooq was specially invited to the meeting to discuss issues pertaining to the Quetta route and the lack of flights on it.
The meeting received a briefing on inbound and outbound flights of all domestic airlines on the Islamabad-Quetta route.
The committee questioned the decision of airlines to curb domestic flights on this route and stressed the need to resume flights on it so that fares may be regulated.