What happened to Pakistan Internation Airline (PIA)

Date: 03 JAN 23

Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has faced a number of challenges in recent years. Some of the main problems the airline has encountered include financial difficulties, safety concerns, and poor management.

One of the main issues facing PIA is financial instability. The airline has struggled with debt for many years, and has often relied on government bailouts to stay afloat. This has led to a lack of investment in new planes and infrastructure, which has in turn affected the airline's ability to compete with other carriers in the region.

Safety has also been a concern for PIA. In recent years, the airline has been involved in a number of accidents and incidents, including a plane crash in 2020 that killed 97 people. While the causes of these accidents have varied, they have raised concerns about the safety standards at PIA.

A subsequent investigation into the incident found that many of the pilots had either fake licences or had cheated in their mandatory exams. This led to the grounding of over 150 pilots resulting in large scale flight cancellations from which the airline has never recovered.

Poor management has also contributed to the problems at PIA. The airline has been plagued by corruption and mismanagement, with reports of embezzlement and nepotism. This has led to low morale among employees and a lack of trust in the leadership of the airline.

The airline is notoriously overstaffed with claims of cronyism rife the airline has failed to make a profit sufficient to invest in its fleet resulting in an ageing fleet which is outdated, inefficient and expensive to maintain.

In addition to these issues, PIA has also faced criticism for its low levels of customer service. Passengers have reported long delays, cancelled flights, and poor treatment of the staff.

At present PIA runs limited flights to and from the UK with the majority of its schedule being internal flights as well as international flights to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Istanbul and other destinations in the Middle East. Travellers from the UK are now forced to use airlines such as Qatar, Emirates and Turkish Airlines with stops in their respective capitals to reach Pakistan.

Overall, PIA has faced a number of significant challenges in recent years. While the airline has made efforts to address these problems, it will likely take time to fully turn the company around and restore its reputation as a reliable and trustworthy carrier. The route from the UK to Pakistan is one of the busiest routes in the world and the opportunity for a reliable direct flight between the two is there for PIA to exploit if it can gain the investment it so desperately needs.