Despite ignoring the stern warning of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia regarding the payment of outstanding dues, it has allowed PIA to commence Hajj operation on the condition of paying outstanding dues of 7.15 million Saudi Riyals with regard to the penalties imposed on the airline during Hajj operations of 2010, 2012 and 2013.
'The Saudi aviation authorities had called the high-ups of the national carrier posted in Jeddah and warned them about this situation. It seems the PIA management is playing tricks with GACA. They paid no attention to the favour given to them by GACA in terms of Hajj operation and have not yet paid their outstanding dues,' said a source associated with PIA.
PIA has been facing the threats of suspension of its operations to Saudi Arabia because of this attitude but they still are not taking the issue seriously. However, the management at Karachi head office is taking things very lightly and simply denied initially that there is any pending payment but later requested for some time. Hajj operations in the said periods saw massive delays of PIA flights to and from Jeddah, up to 52 hours. The Hajj operation 2011 witnessed around 85 percent delays while only 15 percent flights were on time. Similarly in the year 2012, around 24.9 percent flights were delayed while 75.1 percent were on time. And 25 percent flights were delayed while 75 percent flights landed as per schedule in 2013.
While on the other hand despite the much trumpeted induction of narrow body fuel efficient Airbus A 320s on dry and wet lease and return to operation of some of its own fleet, the airline is unable to streamline its flight operations. Sources associated with the airline termed this situation quite dangerous for the survival of the airline and said if the management could not control even flight punctuality how come it could steer this national asset out of the current crisis.
With flight punctuality in the month of August, the management operated 2,453 flights and out of them only 1,086 were on schedule, while 1,367 flights were delayed, hence the punctuality ratio was just 44.3 percent. The sources added that the highest number of flights ie 76 was delayed due to the information technology department which remained unable to handle the installation of some updates of Sabre systems throughout the network, while the engineering department was responsible for 60 delays. The passenger handling services was responsible for 39 delays; marketing department 15 delays; food services seven delays; operations five delays; and flight services department was responsible for two delays.
'One could easily understand where the problem is, therefore, this issue could be resolved easily. But the inefficient management is not paying heed to this prolonged issue. Had they implemented what the Way Forward Committee suggested regarding information technology, the damage this department inflicted with 192 (including consequential) delays in August would not have been possible,' reasoned the source.
Though the other reasons of delays including immigration, custom, security, air traffic control, civil aviation authority, weather, and others are out of control of the management, yet the PIA punctuality stands at 63 percent which is way much below the standards. 'The management has to set things right on its part and streamline what is playing havoc with the flight punctuality issue since long. They have to manage their departments in order to control irregularity and non-punctuality,' said a source.
On the other hand, when the airline is faced with a financial crunch, pilots' body has demanded special allowance of 105 hours for its office bearers. Office-bearers of Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association have used their muscle to carve out a special allowance a guaranteed 105 flying hours and outstation allowances for themselves amounting to Rs 20 million annually.
Aviation experts and trade unionists have expressed dismay at the naked greed shown by Palpa office-bearers for obtaining a monetary benefit that is denied to their brother pilots who are their voters as well. Sources in PIA have confirmed that an amount of Rs 20 million will be additionally incurred by already cash strapped airline currently facing huge losses of over Rs 240 billion. The airline is defaulting on payments of fuel, over flying, landing and fines on delayed flights at different international airports.
While all employees have been striving hard to reduce the losses of national carrier by increasing efficiencies where ever possible they have been deeply hurt by the selfish attitude of the four office bearers of this association, an office-bearer of another association of the airline said.
The allowance is being given to management pilots who are required to be in offices for certain jobs helping the management and are subject to less flying than regular pilots, on the contrary the incumbent Palpa office-bearers are flying full hours as per their rosters and mostly on international routes.
A technically worded letter No PALPA/G/337/176 of August 25, 2014 signed by Joint Secretary Palpa First Officer Rifaat Hussain, has been sent to the management demanding payments only as per certain clauses ie 2.17- 1&2 of Palpa-PIA working agreement for President Captain Amir Hashmi, Vice President Captain Sadiq Rehman, General Secretary Captain Sohail Ahmed and Treasurer Captain Farrukkh Mirza only.
Sources said a letter has been written by Anwar Nadeem Deputy General Manager HR & Flight Operations on September 5, HR/FO/PALPA/2014 asking Finance Manager Flight Operations for the arrangement of payment to executive Palpa pilots on account of guaranteed flying hours and allowances.
The letter also mentioned the reference of Joint Secretary Palpa's letter in this regard saying as per clause 2.17 of PIA/Palpa agreement. Principal office-bearers of Palpa are entitled for 105 guaranteed flying hours allowance and international outstation allowance of 10-days out per month. Annual impact of implementation of this allowance will be around Rs 20 million.
Sources said the letter also mentioned the executives names including Captain Amir Hashmi (President Palpa), Captain Sadiq Rehman (Vice President), Captain Sohail Ahmed (General Secretary) and Captain Farrukh Mirza (Treasurer). Needless to mention that former management of pilot community had kept withdrawn this clause for more than three years to reduce the financial load and losses of the airline and had reduced the flying allowance of regular pilots from 70 to 50 hours guaranteed flying allowance.
Earlier, President Palpa Captain Hashmi deceived the media in a statement that Palpa continued to offer their support to the airline. The association plans to offer the management to reduce their principal office-bearers' and management pilots' allowances by 25 percent. Instead the all powerful association which threatens to stop flying at a drop of the hat has demanded full 105 hours allowance forgetting completely about reduction of 25 percent. Last year the then Palpa management got the allowance after a period of more than three years, while incumbent President who was only a member of the association had objected to the allowance and had asked the PIA management to withdraw it with immediate effect while now they have demanded the same with arrears for themselves.
Sources said PIA was passing through the worst time of its history while deteriorated financial condition of the airline and its poor international image have drastically reduced its revenue sources specially after half of its fleet is stranded on ground for want of spares etc, but its pilots' representatives' greed has touched new heights.