What needs to Happen to PIA(Pakistan International Airlines)

[Yankee-stani]

Looking back in PIA's history we could see the airline had its glory days several decades ago, and time and time again, we hear something needs to be done to fix PIA crappy customer service, and declining revenue.What steps should be taken, should the Government of Pakistan sell it or try to manage and reform it,

Some pictures from PIA golden age, when it was in the league of Pan Am,TWA,British Airways and other global airlines of the day.

 

[Azadkashmir]

will it stop nawaz sharif types pocketing, if sold.

 

[Chakar The Great]

Not at this point but in the future yes. The failure of administrative machinery should not be considered an excuse for selling this huge national asset at low cost.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Do we know from which year PIA began to make regular losses?

 

[Arsalan 345]

if they ask me to fix it,i will bring new educated people in every department and sack all old people with arrest warrant.they are making money by unfair means.so much corruption.if i am a son of a pia officer,i can get job in pia or internship.it's very easy.we must eliminate corruption.when i hear about pia,it reminds of the aircraft that vanished during benazir era and still missing.it's in the ice.someday we will know it's resting place.

 

[Yankee-stani]

Do we know from which year PIA began to make regular losses?

I am guessing around the late 1980s and Early 1990s was the start because of political instabilty after the death off Zia and you know musical chairs between the PMLN and PPP

will it stop nawaz sharif types pocketing, if sold.

Who cares sell it to the Gulf Arabs the Sri Lankans did that a decade ago with their flag carrier

 

[Pakistansdefender]

Pti approach seems OK..
They are right that no one even those parties who want to do this, such as pmln would never let anyone do this, so they would not get the brownie points.
Or if they do it, then can face serious consequences in terms of anti government protests, lock downs etc....
So better reform it and then sell it gradually. On the model of Malaysian khazana.
But needs full attention and even a focal person to work on that issue.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Some main problems of PIA

Buy more planes
Reduce the number of employees
Have better and trained employees
Better food
Induct better entertainment systems
WiFi
Reduce the fare currently it cost more to travel to islamabad from Karachi then Dubai from Karachi
Islamabad - Karachi economy class ticket price is 40,000 rupees

Revive the profitable routes
Overhaul the interior of the existing planes
Induct better seats
Also stop giving free tickets to favorifav persons
Everyone should be charged weather it's a government employee PIA employee MNA MPA or from armed forces

Currently PIA has 35-38 planes and 13000-15000 employees 38 pilots for a single plans which gets fixed monthly salary

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

Cut the staff by half, reward brilliance and execute the corrupt. Hire a well established marketing firm and market the hell out of it. Increase routes and focus on quality then quantity. With increase in funds buy more planes and rehire the other half of staff that was laid off. Done

 

[valkyr_96]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1454236 also there is a gem in the comment section:

Ex PIA
about 22 hours ago
Many ex PIA pilots and management have successfully served PIA for over 30 yeras without any degree. So this should be a non issue

 

[AZ1]

Free it from political influence namely bhutto and nawaz

 

[pzfz]

Some main problems of PIA

Buy more planes
Reduce the number of employees
Have better and trained employees
Better food
Induct better entertainment systems
WiFi
Reduce the fare currently it cost more to travel to islamabad from Karachi then Dubai from Karachi
Islamabad - Karachi economy class ticket price is 40,000 rupees

Revive the profitable routes
Overhaul the interior of the existing planes
Induct better seats
Also stop giving free tickets to favorifav persons
Everyone should be charged weather it's a government employee PIA employee MNA MPA or from armed forces

Currently PIA has 35-38 planes and 13000-15000 employees 38 pilots for a single plans which gets fixed monthly salary

ah, no! People have a very limited understanding of the aviation sector around the world if they think the highlighted stuff needs to happen in order for PIA to be turned around. There will be no turn around until the Pakistani economy and society becomes competitive and dynamic. Professionalism rather than fanboyism is needed. Airlines the world over are cutting back on the hard product and services that Pakistani air travelers think is their birthright. Planes need to be sold (wide-bodies) in order to induct narrow-bodies that offer much better economics on domestic and regional routes - which is where the focus should be. This will allow for more frequencies which are needed rather than any revival of past routes. Improve the training and service standards of employees and cut the sloppiness and excesses. Cut down costs on food and IFE and just focus on WiFi enabled entertainment. Save fuel costs by getting rid of installed IFE that is going to be broken and useless after a few flights anyways. No need to give a meal and drink service for a 2 3 or even 4 hour flight. Move more towards an LCC-level offering while improving the quality. Focus on cargo, or whatever is left of it. Stop wasting time and money on repainting planes on amateurish liveries from fanboys who don't know the first thing about branding. Hire a professional advertising agency if and when PIA has the money down the line.

The biggest takeaway is that rather than PIA, the overall aviation sector should be the focus. PIA or any other airline can sink of swim in an enabling environment which Pak currently lacks.

 

[pzfz]

sell PIA?

The answer to your questions isn't as straightforward as it seems. Even if one wants to sell it, no one wants to buy it. Too much debt and very little prospect of RoI. Pak is stuck with PIA until it disappears or is nursed back to health by the govt along commercially viable lines.

 

[Asian.Century]

PIA a liability due to mismanagement and corruption, says CEO

Federal Minister for Privatization and Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro along with Special Advisor to PM Mr Iftikhar Durrani, Secretary Aviation and Chairman PIA addressing a Press Conference - APP

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Marshal Arshad Mehmood Malik said on Tuesday that due to mismanagement and corruption the national flag carrier had become a liability.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Malik said PIA’s management would develop a comprehensive five-year strategic business plan to turn the national flag carrier into a profitable entity and revive its past glory. “Prime Minister Imran Khan tasked us to revive the PIA as a profitable enterprise. Since taking the responsibility in October, last year we have taken some short-term measures to ensure its smooth functioning and now we are going to give a five-year long term plan in a three-month period,” he told a news conference here at the Press Information Department.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/225191-pia-a-liability-due-to-mismanagement-and-corruption-says-ceo

Minister for Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro, Special Assistant to PM on Media Affairs Iftikhar Durrani and Secretary Aviation Division Shahrukh Nusrat were also present at the presser.

Arshad said that the five-year plan would undertake measures for cost saving, revenue generation, improvement and expansion of flight operations.

“Financial restructuring through government support will also be part of the plan,” he said.

He added that revival of the airlines’ past glory was a daunting task but he had full backing of the Minister for Aviation to turns its fortunes.

He further said after assuming the charge he found that PIA was a white elephant turned black hole due to several issues such as meddling of PIA Union in administrative affairs, corruption, non professional attitude and overstaffing.

“But I also found that PIA pilots, engineers and technicians were the best in the industry and they needed only ownership to harmonize their energies,” he added.

 

[Ghessan]

this is not an easy task PIA is so down with herself, to bring it out of that ditch is an uphill task particularly when an environment of corruption has engulfed it since many years now.