ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) on Sunday decided to send employees on paid leaves on a rotation basis in order to curtail unnecessary costs due to non-utilisation of manpower.
In a notification issued in this regard, the management of the national flag carrier asked the department chiefs to prepare paid leaves rosters of employees by April 14 as first cycle of paid leaves would start from April 16. “As you are well aware, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic effect on our airlines’ operations in general and flight operations specifically have been reduced to minimal/zero. Unfortunately, no one can predict for how long this situation will persist,” it stated.
“In order to curtail unnecessary cost due to non-utilisation of manpower and to curb the associated overhead cost, it has been decided that employees in all areas may be sent on paid leaves on rotation basis for 10 days so that the entire staff of the department without any exception avails the paid leaves each month (one third staff for 10 days, then another one third and so on),” it added.
However, it further stated, this paid leaves rotation should be planned in a way that minimum staff requirement is maintained to avoid hampering the operation, keeping in view the nature of the duty.
“In case of any exception due nature of job/operational requirements, the same may also be conveyed to concern officials,” the instruction concluded.
CAA SUFFERS RS3 BILLION LOSS:
Meanwhile, it emerged on Sunday that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had suffered a loss of Rs3.194 billion in March on account of aeronautical charges after suspension of international flight operations amid coronavirus outbreak.
This was revealed in an email sent to joint secretary and director air transport by the PIA additional director billing. The CAA had already extended its ban on all flight operations besides barring chartered and private planes amid coronavirus pandemic.
The CAA notified the extension for the closure of all kind of flight operations including domestic and international following the orders of the federal government.
However, special flights are being operated to bring back the Pakistanis stranded in different countries.
