The national flag carrier Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has started third weekly direct international Sialkot-Muscat flight from Wednesday night as a PIA flight PK-229 with 118 passengers on board took off from Sialkot International Airport.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony central joint secretary Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Member National Assembly Khawaja Muhammad has stressed upon the high ups of PIA to adopt "Open Sky" policy for the larger national interest and enabling the other airlines to operate their flights from Sialkot International Airport.
The National Airline should also focus on initiating more domestic and international as well as operating of Hajj flights from Sialkot, he demanded. Khawaja Asif disclosed that PIA was suffering huge loss of Rs 36 billion annually due to political interference into the organisation and unprofitable airports of the country.
It is need of the hour that the high ups of PIA should give up the shallow approach and concentrate on purging the malpractices for making it a profitable organisation and to overcome the financial losses he suggested.
Khawaja Asif further stated that due to non-co-operation of PIA authorities the flight operation from Sialkot airport was delayed nonetheless we are grateful to the national flag carrier for launching its three international and domestic flights from Sialkot airport. He called upon the PIA to increase the number of flights on Sialkot-Abu Dhabi, Sialkot -Kuwait and Sialkot-Muscat routes for facilitating the overseas Pakistanis and business community of the region.
Khawaja Asif foresees that with the operation of international flights from this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry of the country would open new economic horizon and help enhancing the export-volume to many folds.
On this occasion he lauded the tireless efforts and commitments of local business community for undertaking a mega project of Sialkot International Airport totally on self-help basis adding that private sector has set up a unique precedent by constructing airport in Asia.
Speaking on the occasion Syed Tariq Ismail District Manger said that PIA was focusing on initiating more flights on different routes after the completion of Hajj operation. PIA was making adequate efforts for making Sialkot international airport successful and the national flag carrier was leading in operating three international domestic flights from Sialkot Syed Tariq said.
In his welcome address, Chairman Sialkot International Airport Limited (SIAL) Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry urged upon PIA to introduce more international flights to Europe, Dhabi and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis and business community of Sialkot, Gujrat and Gujranwala districts.