Lies being spread about PIA on social media. Here is the real picture

[PappuChikna]

Dont believe everything you read on internet and desi social media.

Most things said about PIA so far are plain wrong.

پی آئی اے کے بارے میں پانچ غلط فہمیاں

پاکستان کی قومی فضائی کمپنی پاکستان انٹرنیشل ایئرلائنز کارپوریشن لمیٹڈ کے بارے میں جتنے منہ اتنی باتیں مگر ایسی کیا پانچ باتیں ہیں جنہیں عموماً پی آئی اے سے غلط منسوب کیا جاتا ہے؟
1: پی آئی اے کے عمر رسیدہ طیارے؟

اس وقت پی آئی کے بیڑے میں شامل طیاروں کی تعداد اور ماضی میں رہنے والے طیاروں کے بارے میں معلومات۔ اس وقت پی آئی اے کے پاس 38 طیارے ہیں۔پی آئی اے کے بوڑھے فلیٹ کے بارے میں بات تو ہر اس شخص کی منہ سے سنی ہے جس سے اس کمپنی کے بارے میں بات ہوئی مگر آپ حیران ہوں گے یہ بات بالکل غلط ہے۔
پی آئی اے کے پاس تقریباً ہمیشہ سے ہی اکثر جدید اور تکنیکی لحاظ سے بہترین طیارے رہے ہیں۔

پی آئی اے کے ٹرپل سیون طیاروں کی عمر اور پی آئی اے کو ملنے کی تاریخ جن میں سے بعض اس سے قبل دوسری فضائی کمپنیوں کے زیرِ استعمال رہ چکے ہیں۔پی آئی اے کے بیڑے میں لانگ ہال یا دور کی مسافت کی پروازوں کے لیے بوئنگ کے جدید 777 اور ایئر بس کے قدرے پرانے اے 310 طیارے ہیں۔

پی آئی اے کے ٹرپل سیون طیاروں کا ڈیٹاپی آئی اے کے پاس چھ اے 310 طیارے ہیں جن کی عمریں 22 سال سے 24 سال کے درمیان ہیں اور یہ اس وقت ایئرلائن کے زیرِاستعمال سب سے پرانے طیارے ہیں جو ملک کے اندر اور مشرق بعید کی پروازوں کے لیے استعمال ہوتے ہیں۔
بوئنگ 777 طیاروں کی عمر 10 سے 12 سال کے درمیان ہے جس کی ایک قسم لانگ رینج کا سب سے پہلا طیارہ پی آئی اے نے حاصل کیا تھا۔ اس سے قبل پی آئی اے بوئنگ کے 747 طیارے استعمال کرتی تھی جنھیں موجود حکومت نے ریٹائر کر دیا ہے۔

درمیانی سے مختصر فاصلے کی پروازوں کے لیے پی آئی اے ان دنوں صرف ایئر بس کے اے 320 طیارے استعمال کرتی ہے۔ اس سے قبل پی آئی اے بوئنگ 300-737 طیارے استعمال کرتی تھی جنھیں موجودہ حکومت نے ریٹائر کر دیا ہے۔
اس کے علاوہ پی آئی اے اے ٹی آر کے 42 اور 72 طیارے مختصر دورانیے کی پروازوں کے لیے استعمال کرتی ہے۔
2: پی آئی اے کے طیاروں پر یورپ میں پابندی

پی آئی اے کے اے ٹی آر طیارے جو کم ایندھن اور مختصر فاصلے کی پروازوں کے لیے انتہائی موزوں اور کامیاب طیارے ہیں۔پی آئی اے کے تمام طیارے دنیا میں کہیں بھی پرواز کر سکتے ہیں اور یہ بات بالکل بے بنیاد ہے۔
ان باتوں کی بنیاد میں پی آئی اے کے نو طیاروں کے علاوہ باقی طیاروں پر 2007 میں لگنے والی پابندی ہے تاہم جن طیاروں پر 2007 میں پابندی عائد کی گئی تھی وہ اب ریٹائر کیے جا چکے ہیں۔
2014 میں پی آئی اے کے طیاروں پر یورپی یونین کے ممالک میں کارگو لیجانے کے حوالے سے جو پابندی عائد کی گئی تھی وہ بھی اٹھائی جا چکی ہے۔
3: پی آئی اے کے فی طیارہ ملازمین

پی آئی اے کا اے تھری ٹین طیارہ جس کے ساتھ کے چھ طیارے پی آئی اے استعمال کر رہی ہے جو اس وقت سب سے عمر رسیدہ طیارے ہیںپی آئی اے کے بارے میں یہ بات ہر ایک کرتا ہے اور وزرا سے لے کر عام آدمی تک اس حوالے سے جو غلطی کرتا ہے وہ گوگل کی مدد سے اعدادوشمار تیار کرنے کی ہے۔
اس میں سب سے بنیادی بات طیاروں کی تعداد ہے جو اس حکومت کے دور میں تیزی سے بڑھی ہے جس کی وجہ سے فی طیارہ ملازمین کی تعداد مختلف ہے۔
پی آئی اے کے مطابق اس وقت فضائی کمپنی کے پاس 14771 ملازمین ہیں اور یہ تعداد فی طیارہ 388 ملازم بنتی ہے۔
اس وقت پی آئی اے کے پاس 38 طیارے ہیں جن میں آنے والے چند ہفتوں میں مزید اضافہ ہو گا جس سے یہ تعداد مزید کم ہو جائے گی۔
دنیا میں ملازمین کی فی طیارہ اچھی شرح سو سے ڈیڑھ سو کے لگ بھگ ہے مگر اس کا انحصار کمپنی کی پروازوں اور اس کے براہِ راست اور ذیلی کمپنیوں کے ملازمین کی تعداد اور ملازمین پر خرچ کی جانے والی رقم پر ہوتا ہے جسے عموماً نظر انداز کیا جاتا ہے۔
4: پی آئی اے کا بوجھ

پی آئی اے قدیم بوئنگ 300-737 طیاروں کو ریٹائر کر کے موجودہ حکومت نے یورپی طیارہ ساز ایئربس کے A320 طیارہ لیز پر حاصل کیے۔پی آئی اے اپنے 38 طیاروں کی مدد سے روزانہ 120 کے قریب پروازیں چلاتی ہے جو طویل فاصلے سے درمیانے فاصلے کی پروازوں کے ساتھ ایک بہتر رجحان ہے۔
پی آئی اے کے پاس دنیا کے بہترین ہوائی اڈوں پر بہترین لینڈنگ رائٹس کی سہولت ہے۔
اگر پی آئی اے کے پاس اسی طرح کے بہتر طیارے ہوں اور ان کی تعداد میں اضافہ کیا جائے تو وہ سب مسافر جنھیں غیر ملکی فضائی کمپنیاں سہولت فراہم کر رہی ہیں پی آئی اے بھی انھیں سفری سہولیات فراہم کر سکتی ہے۔
پی آئی اے کی سب سے زیادہ پروازیں مشرقِ وسطیٰ خصوصاً دبئی اور پاکستان کے درمیان ہیں جن میں پی آئی اے دو پاکستانی اور درجن بھر مشرق وسطیٰ کی فضائی کمپنیوں سے مقابلہ کرتی ہے۔
جہاں پی آئی اے کے طیاروں اور اس کی وجہ سے پروازوں کی تعداد ماضی میں کم ہوتی گئی وہیں غیر ملکی کمپنیوں کو دھڑا دھڑ پاکستان میں تھوک کے حساب سے لینڈنگ رائٹس دیے گئے۔
مشرقِ وسطیٰ کے ممالک سے تعلق رکھنے والی فضائی کمپنیاں اس وقت پاکستان میں کراچی، لاہور، ملتان، فیصل آباد، اسلام آباد سیالکوٹ اور پشاور سے پروازیں چلا رہی ہیں۔
ایمریٹس اور قطر جیسی فضائی کمپنیاں اسلام آباد، کراچی، لاہور حتیٰ کہ سیالکوٹ جیسے شہروں کے لیے بوئنگ 777 یا ایئر بس اے 330 جیسے طیارے چلاتی ہیں اور پی آئی اے کا انحصار ان روٹس کے لیے چھوٹے ایئر بس اے 320 طیاروں پر ہے۔
2005 میں بیرونی فضائی کمپنیاں ایک ہفتے میں پاکستان کے لیے سو کے قریب پروازیں چلاتی تھیں اب یہ تعداد 400 کے لگ بھگ ہے۔
مختصر یہ کہ آج جو مسافر فلائی دبئی، فلائی ناس، ایئر عریبیا یا اومان ایئر پر سفر کرتے ہیں وہ پی آئی اے یا پاکستانی فضائی کمپنیوں پر بھی کر سکتے ہیں مگر یہ بات بہت کم کی جاتی ہے کہ مسافروں کی مد میں ہونے والے سارے نقصان کا سارا فائدہ برادر خلیجی ممالک کی فضائی کمپنیوں کو ہوا ہے۔
5: روزویلٹ ہوٹل

روزویلٹ ہوٹل کو 2007 میں فروخت کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا گیا جسے بعد میں واپس لے لیا گیا مگر اب بھی بہت سی للچائی نظریں اس ہوٹل پر لگی ہیں۔پی آئی اے کو ایک بیمار کمپنی قرار دیا جاتا رہا ہے لیکن یہ ادارہ امریکی شہر نیویارک کے مرکزی گرینڈ سینٹرل سٹیشن کے قریب ایک ایکڑ رقبے پر پھیلے ہوئے روزویلٹ ہوٹل سمیت دنیا کے اہم شہروں میں متعدد ہوٹلوں کا مالک ہے۔
روزویلٹ ہوٹل 1979 میں پی آئی اے کی ذیلی کمپنی پی آئی اے انوسیٹمنٹس نے خریدا تھا جس میں ابتدائی طور پر سعودی شہزادے فیصل نے سرمایہ کاری کی تھی۔
پی آئی اے نے بعد میں اس ہوٹل کے 99 فیصد حصص خرید لیے تھے۔
جہاں پی آئی اے میں خسارے کا دور دورہ ہے یہ ان چند منافع بخش سرمایہ کاریوں میں سے ہے جن سے پی آئی اے منافع کماتی ہے۔
پی آئی اے نے اس کے علاوہ 1979 میں لیز پر حاصل کیا جانے والا پیرس کا سکرائب ہوٹل بھی سنہ 2002 میں خرید لیا تھا۔

http://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/2016/05/160526_5_things_about_pia_tim

​

and here is the PIA chairman statement who has been misquoted on media. He did not say there was any technical difficulties in the plane before the flight. Plane was A-ok before the flight.

http://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan-38238148​

 

[j1234]

its a machine, fault comes during the flight and pilots are trained enough to handle the situation, engine failure or fire is not a big thing in air and they could have landed easily. but training standards and engineering malpractices were the main reason of this crash and both departments are under CAA monitoring and the main culprit is CAA for going below the standards for other personal benefits.

 

[PappuChikna]

Having said that, PIA had too many accidents in past 10 years.

 

[fawad ali]

PIA hires pilots on nepotism. This is no secret.

 

[Anonymous Paki]

[FONT=&quot]جس ملک کا وزیراعظم کرپٹ دھوکے باز اور جھوٹا ہو وہاں کے سب ادارے ناکارہ ہی ہوں گے[/FONT]​

 

[Zainsha]

[FONT=&amp]جس ملک کا وزیراعظم کرپٹ دھوکے باز اور جھوٹا ہو وہاں کے سب ادارے ناکارہ ہی ہوں گے[/FONT]​

aur

g@nj@ h@r@@m khorr apnay ghulam har jaga set kar kay mazeed tabahi kar raha hai..

 

[Ali Khurram Tirmezi]

[FONT=&quot]PIA has been crash-free for 10 years, a 2014 analysis by US statistician Nate Silver based on data from 1985 to 2014 found the airline had a consistently high number of what he termed “near-misses” – an indicator of risk.

[/FONT]

پی آئی اے کے مطابق اس وقت فضائی کمپنی کے پاس 14771 ملازمین ہیں اور یہ تعداد فی طیارہ 388 ملازم بنتی ہے۔
اس وقت پی آئی اے کے پاس 38 طیارے ہیں جن میں آنے والے چند ہفتوں میں مزید اضافہ ہو گا جس سے یہ تعداد مزید کم ہو جائے گی

All political hired staff from PPP and PMLN each plane with 388 staff and how the hell they will make profit which they can spend on improvement. ​

 

[abdlsy]

QAIM ALI SHAH LEASED PIA OWNED SUMBARA HOTEL NEAR MOHENJOEDARO TO PPP COLLEAGUE FOR 250,000 RUPEES A MONTH LEASE FOR 30 YEARS, BY WHOSE ORDER, DOCUMENTAL SIGNED PROOF BY MUB LUQMAN, UNBELEIVABLE.

 

[khan_11]

baat boray aur nuwjawan ki nahin,asal baat yey hay PIA main nauker shahi bohat hay iss ko bohat buray terakay say loota jata hay we need competant administration who run it professional no compromise on quality and need complete overhauling from top to bottom, stop interference of government and its ministers, stop free travelling by any one ,i will give you one example of mismanagement there are no flights in Netherland for last three years but the people who are employed there are still there and getting salaries, and in the domestic flights employee gave free tickets to their friends and relatives,kick backs in contracts

 

[abdlsy]

[h=1]PIA office in Dammam looted[/h]

• Uncategorized

January 16, 2016 BY INP

Unknown persons have looted a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) office in the Saudi Arabia’s city of Dammam.
The robbers reportedly entered the national airliner’s office in Dammam between Thursday and Friday night and looted thousands of riyals after breaking the locks.
According to the PIA administration, the incident had been reported to the local police station whereas the office staff was also questioned as well.
The sources said the administration was allegedly trying to cover up the events as the PIA head office had not been informed of the robbery.

 

[Iconoclast]

PIA's has been in a constant decline since 1990's. There was once a time when PIA was the trend setter in the world with tons of milestones/rewards to its name.
It's not about the age of the airplane as much as it is about it's maintenance. I've traveled in some of the oldest planes in the US and mind ya every airline cuts corner since the plane is essentially not making money when it's sitting on the tarmac. But that's not an issue for a national airline and shouldn't be. Our problems is shady management of the flag carrier.
It's way to early to jump to conclusions on this one.

 

[abdlsy]

Javed Chaudhry writes that Asif Ali Zardari looted this country, provided chance to his family members and friends to make money, sheltered the criminals of corruption and looting of PIA, Steel Mill, Railway, NICL… and still he believes that people will love him and come out in his favor???

 

[abdlsy]

[h=1]Shameless Plunder of Pakistan[/h]By
Shaukat Masood Zafar -

Dec 5, 2015 0

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Corruption in widespread and rampant in Pakistan and exists in different forms like bribery, blackmailing, kickbacks in national projects, land grabbing, the appointment of cronies in public institutions on highly lucrative pay and perks packages, self-projection at the cost of taxpayer’s money and nepotism.


Corruption is the primary cause behind worse poverty, rising illiteracy, growing terrorism, shortage of electricity, unprecedented price hike of food items, etc. and lack of governance in Pakistan. It is the only evil that is eating up every institution of Pakistan like cancer.

The ever powerful and profit earning institutions of Pakistan such as PIA, Pakistan Railways, ZTBL, and Wapda, etc. have been deliberately plundered through cronies and pushed towards losses in a predetermined design just to pave the way for their privatization, while inflation and unemployment have made the life of people miserable.


Corruption has spread so rampant and deep rooted that it has undermined the government’s capacity to deal with the deadly menace of terrorism, deliver essential services like education, healthcare, infrastructure, employment, and even law and order to the masses. A lack of transparency and accountability are the main problems. Despite billions of dollars lost in merciless corruption, no official has ever been prosecuted given its weakest judicial system. Corruption is hollowing out key governance institutions like the NAB, FIA, judiciary, and bureaucracy. Some high ranked political leaders of the ruling party publicly deny any corruption and state that Pakistan is now free from corruption. This denial by the government is also the cause of the problem. Any problem has to be first acknowledged to make a commitment to cope with it, but this is not the case here. The era of nonstop looting and plundering the public wealth is going on with full force violating even the fundamental human rights of the masses. Utilization of development funds lacks transparency. Loot and plunder on the pretext of development projects are rampant in the sitting regime.



Nandipur Power Project is a mega-scandal. It is a perfect example of robbing the exchequer in a sophisticated manner by PML-N government. The LNG import is yet another mega-scam. In addition to importing LNG on highest price, federal governments forced SSGC authorities to sign an agreement for payment of US Dollars 272,000 per day (about three crore Rupees per day) to Engro from the taxpayers’ money, regardless of whether the regasification terminal becomes operational or not. There is another major corruption scandal of Metro Bus projects which is called the mother of all mega-scandals. Payment of Rupees 480 billion circular debts without mandatory audit, floating bonds on unprecedented high-interest rates, raising debt from 6000 billion in 2008 to 22000 billion in 2015, misappropriations in the construction of new power projects and so on are also under the discussion of the masses.


Corruption is theft, stealing, or robbery, and it inflicts real harm on people, society, and the country. Our education system has suffered a patterned process of degradation and dismantling. Our schools and universities have been looted or systematically destroyed by our politicians. Corruption has caused significant delays in thousands of health, education, and other infrastructure projects. Thousands of schools nd hospitals lack basic repair. Hospitals are particularly facing shortages of equipment and medicines. It is the insult embedded in many acts of corruption that often drives victims to extreme responses.


If the Zardari-led PPP looted and plundered the institutions one after the other; the PML-N too has proven to be disastrous for being terribly corrupt beating even the corruption records of Zardari. Both the parties have shamelessly and ruthlessly filled their pockets with the money looted from the poor and brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy. This corruption mafia has tremendously increased the problems of the masses during the last about eight years. Their worst policy of loot and plunder of national resources has destroyed national institutions. Both the parties and their cronies have given the ‘gifts’ of rampant capitalism, poverty, illiteracy, terrorism, target killing, unemployment, highest inflation, and load-shedding to the masses that they will never be able to forget. The gulf between the rich and the poor has remarkably widened, and the life of people has become miserable. It has become quite difficult for the poor to make both ends meet.Name of “Democracy” is being misused and treated so ruthlessly that life for the ordinary man has gone from bad to worse as against the rapidly growing wealth of those elected to serve the masses. Everyone knows that Zardari-Nawaz cooperation is nothing but getting together for one common goal i.e. hiding merciless corruption of each other. They have, in fact, waged war against the people of Pakistan who voted them into power. The security agencies in their operation have found several influential personalities of from different parties directly involved in terrorism funding. The illegally acquired funds are also transmitted to various criminal outfits and individuals.In a real democracy, the people are in charge, not the elected politicians. They are merely public servants to act according to the will of the people; this is not happening in Pakistan. The ‘public servants’ spend much of their time and our money serving themselves, their relatives and cronies. A new design needs to be created to make democracy work in the most efficient and fair way. Corruption should be zero tolerance. Corrupt ‘public servants’ deserve to be hanged after a summary trial. Once we get Pakistan’s political system right, we need to do it for everyone

 

[abdlsy]

[h=1]Mirza drops another bomb on Zardari[/h] February 12, 2015
By: Samaa Web Desk
Published in Pakistan
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BADIN: Pakistan People’s Party's (PPP) fire-breathing Zulfiqar Mirza, Thursday sent his flummoxed party leadership looking for salve after he once again scorched the party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari with a blistering statement, Samaa reported.
“Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto did not sacrifice her life to help Mr Zardari become a billionaire,” Mirza said talking to Samaa here in his hometown.
Except for Bilawal Bhutto, all the PPP leaders were on ‘daily wages’, said Mirza, adding no amount to ‘graft money’ could satisfy their ballooning bellies that were always stretching to accommodate more as if made of rubber.
“Bilawal has started a crusade to save Pakistan People’s Party,” the firebrand said.
Later, in his counterblast, senior PPP leader Moula Baksh Chandio called Mirza to carpet for his scathing remarks.
“Mirza’s statements are only hurting the PPP, but let me tell you we will not let anyone get away with it,” Chandio said.
A day earlier, Giving ground to the 'viral word of mouth' that the party top brass was drifting apart, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Zulfiqar Ali Mirza accused some of his peers of conspiring to bar party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari from taking part in the active politics of Pakistan.
“No one can stop Bilwal from doing politics in the country of his origin,” the former home minister of Sindh said while talking to Samaa exclusively.
According to Mirza, some toady PPP leaders were trying to keep the party chairman out of the political picture.
“Who can stop someone, who has the blood of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto running through his veins? Their designs will die their own death,” the firebrand said adding, “My leader is only Bilawal.”
Replying to a question as to who in his opinion was behind this conspiracy against the scion of Bhutto family, Mirza pointed finger at the Co-chairman of PPP, Asif Ali Zardari like a shot.
“Zardari could be pulling the strings of those pawns, who are campaigning against Bilawal,” A footsure Mirza said.
Mirza also picked apart Mutttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for playing 'coalition coalition' with PPP in Sindh.
“I see PPP-MQM alliance as “complicity” among carjackers. By the way if thieves join their hands together, looting becomes a breeze,” Mirza said somewhat implying the MQM joined Sindh government out of the doctrine of necessity.
On the recent row between the MQM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mirza said he was going to London, where he would celebrate the embarrassment that former's party chief, Altaf Hussain suffered lately at the hands of the latter's leadership.
Mirza also told Samaa that during his visit to British capital he would hold a detailed meeting with Bilawal, who he claimed was sidelined by his own father for raising voice against the rampant bad governance in the province of Sindh, the political stronghold of the PPP.

 

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When your funds dedicated for an institution is not spent there and instead is looted by its managers, then these unfortunate incidents will keep happening. Just like your airplanes, trains, bridges etc.

 

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[h=1]PML-N's Hamza accuses PPP-led coalition of ruining PIA[/h]
January 18, 2013
RECORDER REPORT 0 Comments

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif has said that PIA is a precious national asset but has reached the verge of disaster due to loot and nepotism of the rulers. He said that after coming into power, the PML-N will free the PIA from plunderers and brought to the height of glory, he said while talking to a delegation of Air League Employee Union of PIA led by its Central President Shamim Akmal today.

Senior Vice President of Air League Employees Union Nadeem Qaiser, Vice Present Shoaib Khalid and President Air League Lahore Ahmad Saleem Butt were also present on the occasion. Hamza Shahbaz said that the workers and technical staff of every section of PIA is facing oppression and injustice. He said that the employees union belonging to the ruling party has ruined PIA just as the rulers have destroyed Pakistan. He said that PIA is facing financial and administrative crises and Supreme Court and every patriotic Pakistani is lamenting this fact.

Hamza expressed resolve that the glory of PIA will be revived and the grievances of the workers will be resolved. He said that Air League Employees Union has always safeguarded the rights of the workers and technicians of PIA and after coming into power every effort will be made for their welfare and betterment in the interest of PIA. The PML-N leader expressed full confidence in Central President of Air League Employees Union Shamim Akmal and said that under his leadership Air League has sustained its existence and positive role in difficult times. He said that PML-N will always support the measures taken by Air League.

Shamim Akmal assured Hamza Shahbaz Sharif that he and other office-bearers of the union will continue to strive for the welfare of the workers of PIA and progress of the institution. He said that Air League with the support and assistance of political leadership will foil the designs of such elements as are destroying PIA. The delegation also offered condolences to Hamza Shahbaz Sharif over the death of his uncle Abbas Sharif.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2013

 

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Congratulation guys! Zardari's sister Faryal Talpur-owns Indus Air to replace PIA.

When Emirates started their operation PIA was the first one to lease them a plane. Also PIA was the first airline to buy and operate Boeing 777-200LR. But sadly for PIA those good old days are long gone now. Hardly a day go by when there is no bad news from PIA.

Thanks to ZARDARI and his corrupt family. What a wonderful job these scumbags are doing for Pakistan.



[h=1]PIA will be replaced by Faryal Talpur owned Indus Air[/h]by Baber K. Khan - 2,544 views
PIA has more employees I believe than whole of the Air line industry combined and it is also one of the reason behind the fall of PIA apart from the practice of corruption which has made PIA from one of the best air lines in the world to zero.


They were pilots from PIA who flew the first passenger jet air craft made by Boeing around the world and now, industry sources say that PIA will be declared dead to make way for Air Indus, which is owned by President’s sister and is currently based in Bahamas but eventually, as PIA is pushed towards solid destruction, Indus Air will be moved to Karachi, industry sources said as quoted by News Tribe.




Our own sources further revealed that the planes that have been ordered by PIA which are due to arrive in December 2011 will be moved under the Indus Air and will operate on the domestic destinations currently catered by PIA.
Chitral News recently ran a news item on their website citing that the new air line owner by current Member of National Assembly will be commencing flights to Chitral as well.
Indus Air’s website is currently down due to bandwidth problems but whenever it goes back online, you can it visit it here while the website when online, stated that it was coming soon on the cost of what once was national pride, PIA.

 

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[h=1]PIA office looted in Ghotki[/h]Wednesday, 03 August 2011



SUKKUR: Unidentified armed men looted Rs950,000 from a PIA office in Ghotki on Tuesday. In charge PIA booking office, Ghotki, Tekamdas Rajpout, said that unknown armed men entered the office and made their way with Rs950,000 and passports.The original article can be found at The News.

 

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Too many cooks: How to turn around PIA prior to privatisation

Lesson*s need to be taken from case-studie*s around the world.
By Shabir Khan
Published: December 15, 2013

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Currently, barely two-thirds of the PIA aircraft fleet is airworthy. Engineering and maintenance needs to be transformed to maximise aircraft airworthiness. This can be done through appointing a result-oriented official – for whom setting and monitoring goals and measuring results is a way of life. PHOTO:FILE

KARACHI: Recently, several columnists and self-proclaimed analysts have highlighted a blindingly obvious status quo – the widening gap between the losses of State-owned Enterprises (SOE) such as PIA and the dwindling revenues of the national exchequer.

Sadly, none have attempted to address or remotely propose viable solutions. However, PIA represents an ideal and lucrative opportunity for a successful turnaround. For many years, the national carrier’s flight operations and load factor have been decreasing, while global passenger traffic has been on the rise. A transformational turnaround is not difficult in the presence of such a worthwhile opportunity.
It only requires a few simple actions.
For the sceptics of a turnaround prior to privatisation, allow me to put ‘a few simple actions’ into perspective by drawing on a few similarities between today’s PIA and British Airways of 1981.
The similarities
At the time, BA was a poorly managed SOE universally perceived as an unattractive, ‘wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole’ buy prospect for investors.

It was bleeding $1 billion a year in losses (300% more than PIA’s 2012 losses) and ‘controlled’ by a multitude of politicised trade unions.
The initials BA were said to signify ‘Bloody Awful’. At the time, PIA’s initials were, and still are today, said to signify ‘Perhaps I’ll Arrive’ or ‘Please Inform Allah’.
One particularly penetrating statement from a renowned frequent BA flyer summed up its service at the time. “The attitude was that the customer was an irritating part of the process”. This comment will ring alarm bells of in people like me who refuse to travel with any other airline but PIA.
Another similarity was BAs ‘crown jewels’, like PIA, being its landing slots at Heathrow and other major international airports – some are today valued between $25-30 million each.
The BA turnaround only required a few simple actions. The first and most important step was the appointment of an international calibre, hands-on CEO or corporate turnaround ‘doctor’. In 1981, Margaret Thatcher appointed Sir John King with the single mission of preparing it for privatisation. King slashed operational costs, reduced aircraft-employee ratio, groomed up service, fine-tuned the route structure, and hired Saatchi & Saatchi to rebrand BA as “The World’s Favourite Airline.” The corporate turnaround was as rapid as it was profoundly transformational.

By 1987, BA was the most profitable airline in the world. When privatised in 1987 via a public share offering, demand exceeded supply by 11 times.
Similarly, immediate steps for any new CEO at PIA are simple and obvious.
Competent heads need to be appointed in each department. In addition, new country heads need to be placed, all superfluous staff posted overseas needs to be recalled and all offices where PIA does not have landing slots need to be shutdown.
The international and domestic routes need to be expanded to generate economies of scale and build a sustainable airline.
Contracts and purchasing policies need to be reviewed. Suffice to say that corruption needs to be reduced. The cost of financing needs to go down because, without it, a timely corporate turnaround will prove difficult.
PIA Investments Limited, incorporated in 1977, should be immediately dissolved and all its assets sold to finance the corporate turnaround. The Roosevelt and Scribe hotels alone have a net book value of $584.8 million, according to PIA’s 2012 annual report, but contribute nothing to profits.
Currently, barely two-thirds of the PIA aircraft fleet is airworthy. Engineering and Maintenance needs to be transformed to maximise aircraft airworthiness. This can be done through appointing a result-oriented official – for whom setting and monitoring goals and measuring results is a way of life.
Perhaps, one of our many retired PAF officers currently camouflaging themselves as ‘defence analysts’ may wish to volunteer their expertise.
Other medium-term goals
In addition, PIA’s aircraft-employee ratio stands at over 500. This needs to be reduced to near the international standard of 130-150. However, for obvious political sensitivities and to enable other changes to be implemented, this should be a low-priority, medium term goal. However, some of the immediate steps should include recalling all superfluous staff from overseas operations, removing all political appointees, getting rid of ‘ghost’ employees, and natural reduction through a holistic hiring-freeze.
A transformational turnaround only requires a few simple steps to rapidly deliver PIA to good health and profitability and a successful privatisation. It may seem a daunting task but for experienced corporate turnaround ‘doctors’, its child’s play.
The writer is a Sloan Fellow from the London Business School and a former Spanish representative on the $100+ billion Eurofighter
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16[SUP]th[/SUP], 2013.