The national flag carrier cannot provide any relief to its passengers as most of domestic and international flights are still being delayed even after three days of post-Haj operations.
Pakistan International Airline has cancelled as many as over 30 flights during the last three days, while almost all flights delayed for three to 15 hours, Pakistan Today learnt on Tuesday.
Source in the national flag carrier revealed that after completing the post-Haj operation on December 10, PIA had decided to return the leased aircraft to Hellenic Airways, but it could not become its grounded aircraft operational. They claimed that 12 aircraft, including two Boeing 747, one Boeing 777, three Boeing 737, three Airbus A310 and three ATRs, were still grounded at Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad airports, due to the absence of the much-needed spare parts.
They revealed that the national flag carrier had divorced hundreds of vendors to ink an agreement with a Dubai-based vendor, Transworld Aviation, for the supply of parts. They said the PIA management claimed that the company was offered $700 million credit line to the national flag carrier, which would not only help in averting the liquidity problem, but would also reduce pilferage of expensive parts. However, the deal could not materialise yet, but by abandoning agreements with existing suppliers resulted in that around 12 aircrafts had been grounded due to unavailability of parts, they said.
Flight operations statistics show that on Sunday alone, the national flag carrier had canceled 27 domestic and international flights due to the shortage of aircraft and mismanagement.
Operations data shows that PK874/5 Karachi-Colombo-Karachi, PK731/2 Karachi-Jeddah-Karachi, PK237 Karachi-Abu Dhabi, PK264 Abu Dhabi-Lahore, PK874 Karachi-Colombo, PK731/2 Karachi-Jeddah-Karachi, PK266/7 Karachi-Dacca-Karachi, PK729 Karachi-Riyadh, PK894 Peshawar-Kuala Lumpur, PK237 Karachi-Abu Dhabi and PK264 Abu Dhabi-Lahore were delayed for three to 15 hours.
Similarly, on domestic routes, most flight, including PK300 Karachi-Islamabad, PK653/4 Islamabad-Lahore-Islamabad, PK369 Islamabad-Karachi, PK303 Lahore-Karachi, PK511 Karachi-Turbat, Quetta, PK538 Karachi-Mohenjo Daro-Sukkur, PK582 Karachi-Rahim Yar Khan-Lahore and PK540 Karachi-Sukkur were delayed.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, a PIA spokesman tried to dispel the impression that flights were being delayed due to shortage of aircraft. He said only two or three aircraft were on routine maintenance, which was a normal thing in any airline. “In the aviation industry, you cannot say that aircraft have been grounded. It is a wrong impression as aircraft are on routine maintenance which is mandatory for safety and compliance with international aviation rules,” he said.
What is the daily utilization rate for PIA planes? It can expose the whole story.
The performance of PIA within last few years is not satisfactory and no steps have been taken to take it out of these crisis. The appointment of Aijaz Haroon and Nadeem Yousaf Zai as MD of the airline,( whose only qualification is that they are close friends of Zardari) has not proved good for the airline. Although they were regular employees of the airline and so they were very aware of the airlines problems but unfortunately they had no experience of business and management, which was vital for this top position.
PIA is facing financial crisis for the last few years, due to which it is not able to maintain its spare parts stocks which is vital for the smooth functioning of an airline.Grounding of so many aircraft is due to the shortage of spare parts.PIA is one of the few airlines in the world which is heavily over staffed and the present govt. appointed approximately 6000 daily wages and temporary workers( includes dismissed employees also) as regular employees from the back date(1997) with all financial benefits . PIA had to pay million of rupees to these employees which proved to be a lasting blow to already sinking ship.
PIA needs a dedicated team led by an able professional to take it out of this grave situation.PIA immediately needs replacement of its old aircraft, termination of thousands of extra employees( political appointments), ban on union activities for at least five years and induction of new operational staff to cover up the shortage( pilots and engineers)
This is the time to act otherwise we may not be able to save the pride of Pakistan
Parts shortage is a scam. Same pretext used to buy B777s & lease A310s etc.
How will you pay for more planes? Rather who will pay?
Let me add to the feathers in the PIA cap when my family was to join me for eid on a PIA flight scheduled on 25 night from Karachi to Abu Dhabi. Incidently PIA got a pressing high protocol demand in the last moment from Islamabad to go to Abu dhabi and the start point of the flight was jumped from Karachi to Islamabad with no concern at all for the people waiting at Karachi and hence flight from Karachi cancelled just like that. Another routine matter decision to please the corrupt elite by corrupt administration of PIA at the cost of people of Pakistan. Shame on PIA and the elites.
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