Minister for Aviation Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the government will have to take on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) liabilities worth Rs800 billion to facilitate its privatisation, Business Recorder reported.
Responding to a calling attention notice regarding the non-operation of private airlines on mandatory and secondary routes within the country, he said that private airlines have submitted requests to operate on various domestic routes.
Regarding a question on the privatisation of the national flag carrier, the minister stated that PIA’s total liabilities stand at Rs800 billion.
He attributed PIA’s financial struggles to a controversial statement made by former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan during the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, adding that the statement led to bans on PIA flights by several countries, including the United States and the UK.
The aviation minister noted that PIA’s flights to the United Kingdom would resume soon, as a UK audit team is expected to arrive in January to assess the airline’s eligibility. He added that PIA’s flights to European Union countries have already been restored following the government’s sustained efforts.
Highlighting the airline’s operational capacity, Asif said PIA currently owns 15 aircraft but lacks smaller planes needed for flying on primary and secondary domestic routes.
PIA recently announced that it would resume flights to Europe following the European Union’s decision to lift a four-year ban. The first flight from Islamabad to Paris is expected to depart on January 10, with two weekly flights initially scheduled for Fridays and Sundays. The airline hopes to gradually increase the frequency of these services.
However, the national flag carrier is grappling with significant operational setbacks as a shortage of critical spare parts continues to affect its fleet. Currently, 17 of its 34 aircraft are grounded, disrupting the airline’s operations and leading to mounting financial losses.
The Boeing 777 fleet has been hit particularly hard, with 7 out of 12 aircraft unable to fly. Additionally, 7 of the 17 Airbus A320 planes are also non-operational. The smaller ATR aircraft are not immune either, with only 2 of the 5 planes in service.
