A jubilant PIA chairman accompanied, by perhaps the largest delegation ever to visit Seattle, for the handing over ceremony of the first of 8 Boeing 777s, stated that next year his airline will become a billion dollar company. Only time and revenue generated will decide the fate of PIA.
However as of today, this airline is under a huge debt of 1.4 billion dollars. The frenzy and money spent on the large delegation of freeloaders, is not justifiable, given the fact that PIA has to pay back this debt.
Mere induction of a new fleet is no cause for jubilation, nor does it win laurels for those involved in this controversial deal.
PIA's reservation and ticketing system continues to be faulty. Maintenance of aircraft is poor, if we were to compare the interior of PIA's classic 747 fleet with that of Virgin or some other airline.
The chairman may have succeeded in getting his airline huge cash injections from the Federal government, but his team has as yet not delivered.
The way things are going, a top heavy PIA management, monopolised by non-professionals, may fail to deliver and the exchequer will end up paying this huge debt.