Management of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decreased its flight frequency and annulled 23 domestic and international flights, while they have also reduced international economy fare categories from 7 to 4. Sources informed Profit that management of airlines
has decided to reduce flight frequencies both on the domestic and international front. This decision would come into effect from 13th December, 2011. These decisions of annulling 23 flights and eliminating 3 international economy fare categories are made to favour the new airline, Indus Air – scheduled to be launched soon. This is reminiscent of last month’s decision by PIA management, which annulled economy discounted fare categories for domestic operations, sources added. The eight domestic flights that are to be annulled include one flight from Sialkot to Islamabad, one flight from Peshawar to Islamabad, two flights from Lahore to Peshawar, and one flight each from Karachi to Islamabad, Islamabad to Quetta, Karachi to Sialkot and Karachi to Multan. Similarly, fifteen international flights to be annulled include three PK 27 flights from Karachi to Dubai, one flight from Sialkot to Sharjah, one flight from Karachi to Kuwait, one flight from Peshawar to Abu Dhabi, one flight from Islamabad to Abu Dhabi, three flights from Karachi to Masqat, two flights from Karachi to Dhaka, and one flight each from Karachi to Katmandu, Peshawar to Doha and one Islamabad to Barcelona.
Sources further informed that in order to facilitate Indus Air, which is said to have support of the defense minister, PIA management’s decisions connote that ultimate sufferer will be the passenger who is already suffering from abysmal service from the national airlines. Earlier, in the last month BoD, headed by the defense minister, decided to annul the discounted economy fare categories for domestic flights and implemented the decision even when PIA offices were closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Now, the passenger has to pay for single category Y in domestic economy class which has the highest fare, while earlier there were many categories in the economy class like K, T, M, N and O. It is to be noted that Indus Air was supposed to start its flying operations in November this year with a minimum of three aircrafts both on mandatory primary routes Gwadar, Turbat, Sukkur etc.) and trunk routes (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar). When contacted some time back, Abdul Wahab, Chief Executive Officer and the owner of the Indus Air, said they have been in talks with AirBus in this regard but due to shortage they had to wait for commencement of their operations. On the other hand, an aviation lawyer, Shah Murad, when asked, said that it is open for any airline to charge fares to cover its operating costs, and this element does not have to be regulated but it should be just and reasonable. As per international practices airlines are allowed to increase or decrease their fares according to their business plans; yet, no competitive advantage should be given to any airline in this regard, he added. It is pertinent to mention that PIA’s decision of levying fuel surcharge could not be justified as it is always linked with increase in international fuel prices. But this time this has not been the case and international oil prices are stable and low.
