PIA asks Govt to Restrict Services of Middle Eastern Airlines in Pakistan

[SherDil]

Bernd Hildenbrand, Pakistan International Airline’s CEO, has requested the government to restrict flights of Middle Eastern Airlines including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Gulf Air, Saudi Airline and Kuwait Airways in Pakistan in order to help PIA gain more market share, reported Reuters.



CEO said that the government of Pakistan has been requested to restrict the number of flights for these deep-pocketed Middle Eastern airlines into Pakistan so that it can help PIA manage its price-war with these airlines.

PIA’s CEO, while speaking with Reuters, said that national airline is losing Rs. 3.1 billion a month while the market share for Emirates, Etihad and Qatar has been on the rise.

“For us, it is very difficult to compete with the Emirates,” Hildenbrand said while adding that Middle Eastern-carriers offered better and cheaper services, whereas PIA is struggling to modernize its 35-plane fleet due to a lack of funds.

PIA therefore needs help from the government, including possibly putting “some limitations on the open-sky policy”, he said.

Mr. Hildenbrand explained that even European countries don’t open up their sky for unlimited flights. “This is something that Canada has already done”, he said.

“I am not against competition, but unlimited competition is not possible”, he was quoted as saying.

https://propakistani.pk/2017/03/24/pia-asks-govt-restrict-services-middle-eastern-airlines-pakistan/

 

[Darth Vader]

Insteas they should offer better service at reasonable rates people will select pia instead of other air lines
Problem isnt with other air lines
Problem is with who provide crap service at first class rate

 

[Khafee]

PIA is not playing fair, why are its fares equal to that of other airlines on the same route, despite bad service?

Forcing people to fly with you is never a good idea. Secondly, PK govt, needs to reduce taxes on air travel to encourage growth, not the other way around.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

I think the general rule of Aviation is each country opens 1 or 2 international airports for International carriers in limited amount

All the Domestic routes or other airports in courtry are generally served by Carriers with domestic flight authorization

 

[ali_raza]

PIA is not playing fair, why are its fares equal to that of other airlines on the same route, despite bad service?

Forcing people to fly with you is never a good idea. Secondly, PK govt, needs to reduce taxes on air travel to encourage growth, not the other way around.

exactly competition makes the business grow

 

[Morpheus]

Recently used PIA twice, both times, the plane did not have a working AC. Imagine sitting in a closed space with 100+ people, and no AC. PIA needs to start with basic stuff, like get a proper working plane.

 

[Mrc]

Screw them

I mean pia

 

[Blue Marlin]

dont you think he has a point?
even American airliners have complained and European airlines are taking the brunt too.
middle eastern airlines such as emirates and qatar have huge amounts of money injected into them as its owned by the state whilst other airlines are owned by shareholders or poorer governments can simply cant compete.

i wont be surprised to find there being restriction on middle eastern airlines in about 3 years time like Canada

 

[coffee_cup]

Healthy competition is a good thing and yes PIA has to improve in basic services.

BUT...

Hildenbrand is right in saying that even European countries do not open up their skies for unlimited flights.

So time to act in national interest and develop national institutions and I am very sure with a huge expat community, PIA can make hefty profits if they get few basic things right!

 

[Dawood Ibrahim]

Bernd Hildenbrand, Pakistan International Airline’s CEO, has requested the government to restrict flights of Middle Eastern Airlines including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Gulf Air, Saudi Airline and Kuwait Airways in Pakistan in order to help PIA gain more market share, reported

Sir for that to happen you need us to trust you and for the moment its hard coz your staff are been in the news for negative reason lasted was shop lifting

 

[Flash_Ninja]

why not limit the number of international airlines through a bidding process, and inject whatever money is raised into a complete top to bottom reorganization of PIA?

Other national airlines like Emirates do have a lot of money injected into them, but they have also been making record profits in the billlions every year for the last 28 years. So the government needs to decide if its going to continue being incompetent, or give some grace to our national flag carrier.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

why not limit the number of international airlines through a bidding process, and inject whatever money is raised into a complete top to bottom reorganization of PIA?

https://www.dawn.com/news/1232409 <-- News report

Airports (National Civil Aviation) hand out landing slots to airlines for specific times. These slots dictate the time an airplane can land, be parked, and fly off.

Pakistani airports have more timings available than the domestic carriers can fill, so rather than allow airports to be empty they'll sell them to whoever has the capabilities to buy. Obviously domestic carriers get first priority but....

I'm using the term landing rights to cover all the various fees and accommodations received/given by the airport.

As far as taxing foreign operators for using Pakistani airports, having an economic war against Gulf States isn't beneficial for Pakistan, and it'll be a war Pakistan is guaranteed to lose.

even American airliners have complained and European airlines are taking the brunt too.

Yes, As far as US airlines complaining against European & ME, they have a point.

1. Labor laws vary between nations, the "flag of convenience".
2. The ME airlines of their shady accounts that make it hard to differentiate between State support and private shareholding.
3. Profitable flights between the US and Europe are being encroached on by direct flights offered by the ME, bypassing their hubs.

National carriers can't compete against private. Being government employees and with all it's perks. Most tend to lose a lot of money and in the years of profit very minimal gains, barely enough to cover the losses.

 

[Blue Marlin]

Yes, As far as US airlines complaining against European & ME, they have a point.

1. Labor laws vary between nations, the "flag of convenience".
2. The ME airlines of their shady accounts that make it hard to differentiate between State support and private shareholding.
3. Profitable flights between the US and Europe are being encroached on by direct flights offered by the ME, bypassing their hubs.

National carriers can't compete against private. Being government employees and with all it's perks. Most tend to lose a lot of money and in the years of profit very minimal gains, barely enough to cover the losses.

1. they hire mainly eastern European cabin crew and there cheap and dont earn alot, heck all you need to do go to youtube and check the vlogs of the cabin crew quitting.

2. airlines like middle eastern airlines are privately owned and princes and sheiks and dont bother hiding money as the dubai is a tax haven.

3. thats due to Dubai's location, even qantas use to stop at Singapore as a stopover now they use Dubai.

is not about being privately owned its about have an enormous amount of money to buy the latest and greatest and can afford to lose money till they run the competition out.

i wont be surprised if the EU imposes some restrictions one them.
which will hurt dubai in the nuts actually the uae as a whole and do anything to stop such restrictions from happening. with the 2022 world cup happening in qatar that may trigger such restrictions.

the usa may impose restrictions but thats unlikely as you and buyout a senators opinion

 

[Divergent]

PIA need to focus on fixing their own tin bins.