PIA receives over 1,300 applications under voluntary separation scheme

KARACHI: More than 1,300 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees have submitted applications seeking early retirement under the voluntary separation scheme (VSS), it was learnt on Tuesday.

Today (Dec 22) was the last date for submission of applications.

PIA plans to lay off over 3,000 employees under the VSS by the end of December. According to details, the national flag carrier, under its restructuring plan, offered the voluntary separation scheme to 3,500 employees. If the separation of the required number of 3,500 employees is not met through the scheme, then a mandatory separation scheme will be launched in January 2021.

A PIA spokesperson said that the excessive employees will be mandatorily retired based on performance, discipline and value addition of the employees. The mandatorily retired employees will not be offered VSS financial package and other facilities.

According to the restructuring plan, PIA’s head office will be shifted to Islamabad next year. In order to control its human resource expenditures, the airline will reduce its aircraft to employee ratio from 500 to 250 employees per aircraft.