Pakistan International Airlines would be made a world class service-oriented airline, PIA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tariq Kirmani said on Tuesday. The national flag carrier would have competitive fares more frequencies and direct flights to different world destinations in order to enhance its revenues and make it profitable, he added.
Kirmani outlined the plans in an interview with APP after the inauguration of PIA flight to Nairobi, Kenya, after a hiatus of seven years.
The delegation abroad in the inaugural flight was accorded a warm welcome by the Kenyan authorities when the PIA A-310 landed at the Kenyatta international airport a few days ago.
Kenyan Assistant Minister for Tourism Boriface Mghaga, Director Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Chris Kuto, Permanent Secretary Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Nabutola and Pakistani High Commissioner Syed Zahid Hussain greeted the guests on arrival.
The Pakistani delegation included Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Senator Nisar A Memon, Secretary Defence Lieutenant General Tariq Waseem Ghazi (Retd), Lieutenant General Arif Hassan, Chairman and CEO PIA, Tariq Kirmani, Vice President of Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Zubair Ahmed Malik, Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation Brigadier Hashim Khan and Vice Chairman Export Promotion Bureau.
On arrival, the members of the delegation and the passengers on the Karachi-Nairobi flight were presented bouquet followed by a cultural programme.
Kirmani said the PIA would operate to Nairobi twice a week on every Tuesday and Saturday with A-310 aircraft flying to the Kenyan capital from Karachi via Dubai.
The resumption of PIA flights to Nairobi would help boost trade and investment and bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kenya, he said.
Addition of Nairobi on PIA's network is part of the national flag carrier's expansion plan, which includes two more frequencies to Tokyo via Bangkok and flights to Istanbul and Glasgow during the coming winter schedule to be effective from October.
The PIA has also introduced flights to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Urumqi, Kirmani said, adding that PIA was operating on these routes by utilising its existing fleet.
He said the airline would also start non-stop flights from Karachi to New York from the next year after taking delivery of long haul new Boeing 777 aircraft.
PIA would also operate direct Boeing 777 flights on Karachi-Houston, Karachi-Chicago and Karachi-Toronto routes.
By December 2005 PIA would also start flights to Athens and Barcelona routes from Pakistan besides two additional weekly flights to Japan, Kirmani said.
The PIA chairman said in view of growing passenger traffic, PIA has to acquire new and leased aircraft. The airline has embarked upon a realistic plan and marketing policy with focus on enhancing the revenue and business by introducing new routes to absorb the impact of rising oil prices.
"We want to see our aircraft in the air not on the ground, serving the country and making the PIA a world class profitable organisation."
Kirmani said load on PIA aircraft, both on domestic and international routes, had increased by 25 percent from the beginning of the current financial year as compared to the previous year.
PIA is operating five daily flights on Karachi-Islamabad-Karachi route, including a night coach service.
Replying to a question, Kirmani said that owing to the oil price spiral in the international market, he would request the government for a 15 percent increase in the Hajj fares.
He said that 40 percent of the expenditure is incurred on the fuel bill of the aircraft.
The PIA hosted a dinner in Nairobi to mark the resumption of PIA flights to Kenya, which was also attended by Kenyan Foreign Minister Ali Mwakwere, who said bilateral ties in different sectors, including trade and investment would receive a boost.
Mwakwere lauded the economic turnaround achieved by Pakistan a result of the realistic policies of the present government. He said his government was looking towards East and attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan.
Kenya wants to learn from Pakistan and benefit from its experience and share expertise in the field of tourism.
High Commissioner Syed Zahid Hussain, in his remarks on the occasion, thanked government of Kenya for reducing duty from 45 percent to 35 percent on Pakistani rice for the next two years.
He said that Pakistan wanted to have a Preferential Trade Agreement with Kenya by the end of this year and hoped this would further boost the trade relations.
Nairobi being the commercial hub and center for exports to other African countries Pakistan wants to benefit from the available opportunity, he said.
PIA chairman also hoped that resumption of air service to Nairobi would help promote business and trade relations.
Secretary Defence Lieutenant General Tariq Waseen Ghazi (Retd) said that Pakistan wanted to further enhance relations with Kenya in different fields.
He said that PIA would also expand its services beyond Kenya and make PIA a commercially viable organisation.
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