Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) can save billions of rupees in reduced fuel cost by
better aircraft turnaround time, controlling pilferage of unpaid luggage and cargo,
decreasing weight and efficient utilisation of existing facilities, unions said on Friday.
A detailed report prepared by Joint Action Committee of PIA Employees (JACPIAE) on
ways to bring down PIAs losses was shared with journalists. The same report has already
been submitted to the board of directors and the management.
Most of the proposed measures have already been adopted by leading airlines across the
world, said an official, who worked on the report. We could do the same. These are little
things, which help bring big changes.
The weight of the aircraft affects the quantity of fuel consumed during a flight, the official
said. Every PIA flight carries an extra 750 kilogrammes in the shape of a flight pack, which
includes a spare tyre and few other things that have never been used. We follow outdated
ways, he added.
These changes, along with other proposals were never taken seriously by the management or
other senior officials in the government, union officials said.
The government has decided to sell a 26% stake along with management control in the lossridden
PIA.
A senior leader of JACPIA said that unions were even ready to take a cut in salaries, provided
some sincere effort was visible by the management to fix PIA. There are a lot of things that
need to be done before it comes down to sacking employees.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2013.
How naive these PIA employees are. Employees are the top contributing factor in PIA's down fall.