It takes a genius to come up with fantastic idea to turn around an airline — technically insolvent, overstaffed, its revenues pilfered and more than half its fleet grounded – with a solution that lies in changing uniforms of its stewardesses, stewards etc. One hopes this initiative and brilliance of aviation czar is followed suit by Punjab Police, Sindh Police, Customs and Excise, NHA, FIA etc by announcing change in uniform for their operational staff to improve their otherwise dismal performance.
PML-N choice of Shujaat Azeem as Special Assistant/Advisor on Aviation, who has served as pilot of former Lebanese PM apart from running a private ground handling agency and partnership in a construction company, has been at the helm of both PIA and CAA ever since the departure of former Chief Justice. Under his helm PIA losses continue to rise, its performance dismal, indiscipline almost peak, human resources going from bad to worse and cronyism continuing to have a toll on PIA. Employees hired with fake degrees during 2007 to 2012, declared bogus by HEC not only continue to be on payroll but promoted thereafter and sent on foreign postings, in violation of PIA rules, based on lame excuse that they have stay orders which PIA deliberately fails to vacate because of connivance and politics of reconciliation between PPP and PML-N.
Perhaps Gordon Bethune, a graduate from Abilene Christian University, having done Advanced Management Course from Harvard School of Business, a licensed Airframe and Power Plant engineer and a CPL with type ratings, who served as VP and GM Boeing Company Customer Services Division and later Renton Division responsible for production of B737 and B757 before taking over loss making Continental Airlines in 1994 with stocks slashed to $2 and by 1997 they had risen to $50, missed this brilliant idea which is not mentioned in his book From Worse to First, now recommended for student of Harvard.
ALI MALIK TARIQ
Lahore
