PESHAWAR: National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was informed on Tuesday that the National Flag Career-PIA was turning around, registering decrease its deficit to Rs18 billion during the current financial year.
The committee which met with Rana Muhammad Hayat in the chair was informed that following drastic measures by the PMLN government the PIA was gradually turning into profit making entity and deficit decreased from Rs26 billion to 18 billion that was 32 billion in 2016.
The committee was told that the action was taken against the crew members who are found involved in illegal activities like narcotics smuggling. However, the PIA officials said that Anti Narcotics Force could prevent such unethical business practice in better way.
Besides offering more facilities to passengers the committee was told that more destinations were being explored for the national flag career to earn more revenues and strengthen its financial position.
The meeting also dismissed reports about full scale privatization of the company saying that several initiatives were being made to bail out the national flag career.
Asad Umar was of the view that policy of the national airline was not catering to the modern day requirement and could not venture into competition with private sector and as a result the PIA had suffered losses.
The committee was informed that a project featuring various modern facilities including a vast parking lot, bridges, elevators and other civic amenities was being executed at a cast of Rs2.9 billion at Bacha Khan Airport Peshawar.
The PIA officials said that the project was underway at good pace and would be completed till May this year.
Moreover, they informed that this time 11 International flights and two national flights were operating on daily basis from Bacha Khan Airport Peshawar and said that flight operation during night would be resumed on security clearance was received from concern authorities. Representatives of PIA, Civil Aviation Authority, Anti Narcotics Force and members of the committee attended the meeting.
