Monday, 27 October 2014

Pakistan International Airlines

Pakistan International Airlines(PIA)
PIA Official Logo 2014.png
IATA
PK
ICAO
PIA
Callsign
PAKISTAN
Founded
  • 1946 (as Orient Airways)
  • January 10, 1955 (as Pakistan International Airlines Corporation - PIAC) [1]
HubsJinnah International Airport(Karachi)
Secondary hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programPIA Awards Plus+
Airport loungePIA Business Plus Lounge
Subsidiaries
  • Roosevelt Hotel
  • Scribe Hotel
  • Skyrooms (Private) Limited
  • PIA Investments Limited
Fleet size33 (+12 on order)
Destinations52 incl.cargo
Company slogan
  • Great People to Fly With
  • با کمال لوگ - لاجواب پرواز
Parent companyAviation Division (Government of Pakistan)[2]
HeadquartersJinnah International Airport
KarachiPakistan
Key people
RevenueIncrease Rs 53.34 billion PKR (Half Yearly Report 2014)[5]
Website
Pakistan International Airlines (Urduپاکستان انٹرنیشنل ایئر لائنز‎) formally known as PIA or Pakistan International, is the national flag carrier and a state-owned enterprise of the Government of Pakistan.[6]Headquartered at Jinnah International Airport inKarachi [7] it operates scheduled services to 23 domestic destinations and 30 international destinations in 27 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.[8] Its main bases are at Karachi,Lahore and Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Secondary bases include PeshawarFaisalabadQuettaSialkot andMultan.
PIA has a long history of milestones in aviation, such as being the first Asian airline to operate a jet aircraft and Boeing 737 aircraft;.[9] It today remains by far Pakistan's largest airline with a fleet of 30 airplanesand at least 14 more on order.[10][11] Furthermore, PIA was the launch customer to operate the 777-200LR model. PIA is currently going through a procedure of privatisation to shift management from government to private sector.[12] It employed nearly 19,000 people as of July 2014.[13]

History[edit]

Pre-Independence[edit]

Pakistan International Airlines can trace its origins to the days when Pakistan had not yet gained independence from the British Raj. In 1946, the country's founder Muhammed Ali Jinnah realized the need for a flag carrier for the prospective country and requested financial help from a wealthy businessmanMirza Ahmad Ispahani and Adamjee Haji Dawood for this purpose. Around that time, a new airline 'Orient Airways', was registered in Calcutta on 23 October 1946. In February 1947, the airline bought three DC-3 airplanes from a company in Texas and obtained a license to fly in May of the same year. The airline started its operations in June, offering services fromKolkata to Sittwe and Yangon. On 14 August 1947, Pakistan came into being and Orient Airways started relief operations for the new country. It was the first and only Muslim owned airline in India and flew from 1947 to 1955.
PIA L1049C Super Constellation at London (Heathrow) Airport in 1955
Convair CV-240 in the 1950s at Karachi airport
Pakistan International Boeing 720-040B at London (Heathrow) Airport after arriving from Karachi in June 1962
A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 707 photographed in Germany, 1961

Post-Independence[edit]

On 7 June 1954, Orient Airways started its operations by offering flight services between East and West Pakistan, with service fromKarachi toDhaka. In addition, the airline also introduced two new domestic routes, i.e.,Karachi-Lahore-Peshawarand Karachi-Quetta-Lahore. However, due to sustained losses being suffered by the airline, the Government of Pakistan proposed that Orient Airways merge with a new national airline. On 11 March 1955, Orient Airways merged with the government's proposed airline, becoming Pakistan International Airlines Corporation. The newly formed airline not just offered services on its domestic routes but also inaugurated its first international route, Karachi-London Heathrow Airport[14] via Cairo and Rome, using 4 newly acquired Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellations. The airline continued using DC-3s on domestic routes in Pakistan. In May 1956, PIA ordered 2 Super Lockheed Constellations of the latest L-1049H type and 5 Vickers Viscount 815.

1960s[edit]

The appointment of Air Marshal Nur Khan as the Managing Director of PIA in 1959 heralded an era of great successes for PIA. In March 1960, PIA wet-leased a Boeing 707 from Pan American airlines, thereby becoming the first Asian airline to induct a jet-aircraft in its fleet.[15] With the newly acquired aircraft, the airline introduced its first trans-Atlantic route Karachi-New York JFK via London in 1961. In 1962, it expanded its fleet by placing orders for Boeing 720s,Fokker F27s, and Sikorsky helicopters. In the same year, one of Boeing 720s flown by Captain Abdullah Baig flying from London to Karachi made a world record for the Speed over a commercial airline servicefor powered landplanes of 938.78 km/h, a record which still holds to this day.[16]
From 1962 to 1966, PIA operated only its Sikorsky S-61 helicopters for services related to East Pakistan(present day Bangladesh) due to some technical difficulties. The normal operations on these routes resumed in 1966 when conditions improved. Upon the establishment of ties between Pakistan Government and People's Republic of China, PIA started flying toBeijing in 1964, becoming the first airline of a non-communist country flying to the People's Republic of China.[15] At the outbreak of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Pakistani Armed Forces seek PIA's services for logistics and transport purposes. The Viscounts were phased out in 1966 and were replaced by 4Hawker Siddeley Tridents. These aircraft were later sold to

1970s[edit]

The 70s decade was marked by resumption of transatlantic flights, introduction of new destinations, appointment of Nur Khan as its executive for the second term, and the beginning of financially successful period for the airline. When the political situation in East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) started deteriorating in early 70s, the Pakistan Armyonce again used PIA's services to airlift soldiers and ammunition to East Pakistan.[citation needed] Most flights had to detour to Sri Lanka during trips between West Pakistan and East Pakistan. With the establishment of cordial ties between the Libyan and Pakistani governments in early 70s, PIA added a new international route, Tripoli, to its map in 1972. It also signed an agreement with Yugoslav airline JAT. PIA acquired McDonnell Douglas DC-10s in 1973 and used those planes to replace Boeing 707-300s. In 1974, PIA launched Pakistan International Cargo, offering air freight and cargo services. In 1975, PIA introduced new uniforms for air hostesses which were chosen through an open competition, with the winning entry designed by Sir Hardy Amies, the designer of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The later half of the decade witnessed further expansion of PIA's fleet with the introduction ofBoeing 747s through either leased or purchased aircraft. During this decade, airline gained considerable popularity and was regarded as Asia's best airline.[17] For the first time since its inauguration, PIA started providing technical and administrative assistance or leased aircraft to foreign airlines including Somali AirlinesPhilippine Airlines,Air Malta and Yemenia. A subsidiary of PIA also started providing hotel management services inUnited Arab Emirates towards the end of the decade.

1980s[edit]

PIA 1980's legacy tail which became an identity for the airline.
The 1980s decade began with the opening of a cargo handling centre at Karachi airport, duty-free shops, the first C and D safety checks on its entire fleet, as well as the introduction of airline's first Airbus A300B4-203 aircraft. In 1984, the airline introduced Night-Coach service as a low-cost alternative to day-time domestic flights. In the following years, PIA Planetarium was inaugurated in Karachi which was followed by planetariums in Lahoreand Peshawar. These planetariums featured retired PIA aircraft on display for educational or observational purposes. Two more retired Boeing 720B airplanes were donated to the planetariums in Karachi and Lahore later on. Also in 1985, five newBoeing 737-300s airplanes were introduced in PIA's fleet, making PIA the first Asian airline with such diverse aircraft fleet. In late 1987 and early 1988, services to Malé and Toronto were introduced. In 1989, Shukria Khanam became the first woman pilot to obtain a license to fly a commercial passenger plane but never joined PIA as a pilot. A year later, First Officer Maliha Sami became the first female pilot of PIA when she took off on Karachi-Panjgur-Turbat-Gwadar route.
In mid-1980s, PIA also helped establish Emirates by leasing two of its airplanes - Airbus A300 and Boeing 737 - as well as providing technical and administrative assistance to the new carrier.

1990s[edit]

A Pakistan International AirlinesAirbus A300 at Fiumicino Airport in 1991.
In June 1991,Airbusdelivered the first of sixAirbus A310-300 aircraft that PIA had ordered. AVM Farooq became the 1st MD of Shaheen Air line and Shaheen Air International as well as Shaheen Cargo and MD Shaheen Air Port services Lahore and remained so until 1993 . With the new airplanes, the airline introduced flights toTashkent in 1992 and to Zürich in 1993. March 1993 AVM Farooq Umar became MD PIA and also open skies from Karachi to Dubai were declared and 12 private air lines were allowed to operate domestically in Pakistan. Both steps came simultaneously and put great pressure on PIA's financial performance. Farooq Umar to meet the challenge, fought the battle of open skies and opened up 6 new routes to the Persian Gulf and CIS countries along with tourists attraction air safari. He also made major changes in routes and schedules and started non stop flights from Lahore and Islamabad to JFK and Canada along with many other to boost up PIA revenues while taking great care to thwart the menace of inadmissible passengers lurking the western world successfully. PIA added JakartaFujairahBaku and Al-Ain to its destinations in 1994. In addition, PIA became a client of three different flight-reservation systems, namely:SabreGalileo and Amadeus. 'Air Safari' flights were launched in 1994 using Boeing 737–300 aircraft that used to fly over the Karakoram mountain range. In 1995, 1996 Farooq Umar handed over PIA to another MD March 1996 closing his tenure with great success and leaving PIA profitable with last 6 months profit of more than 55 million PKR. after his departure PIA started to nose dive. PIA purchased a Boeing 747flight simulator to train its pilots. It also purchased another used Airbus A300 aircraft from Air France. ATupolev Tu-154 aircraft was also leased briefly in 1996 to cope with surge in passenger traffic during summer 1996. Flights to Beirut were resumed the same year as well.
In 1999, PIA leased 5 Boeing 747–300 aircraft fromCathay Pacific to replace its Boeing 747-200M fleet. The aircraft were painted with a new livery - a handwork Pashmina tail on white body and large Pakistan titles on the front fuselage. The livery was adopted in early 90s but due to some copyright issues it had to be dropped. The Boeing 747-300s remained in the new look but with a plain green tail with PIA titles. The other aircraft in the fleet were repainted in early 1990s livery.

2000s[edit]

Boeing 747-300 on finals to London Heathrow Airport, England
In July 2002, PIA purchased sixBoeing 747-300 aircraft from Cathay Pacific, five of which were already on lease. The sixth one arrived shortly afterwards and was used mainly on its North American and European routes. In October 2002, after a period of ten years without any new orders, the airline placed an order for eight Boeing 777 aircraft from The Boeing Company. The order included all three variants of 777, i.e. three 777-200ER (Extended Range), two 777-200LR (Longer Range) and three 777-300ER versions. PIA was the launch customer that revived the Boeing 777-200LR project that, until then, only had three orders by EVA Air.
Boeing delivered the first of three 777-200ER aircraft to PIA in January 2004. PIA introduced a new livery for 777-200ERs airplanes and that livery was later applied to most airplanes of its fleet. PIA also leased six more Airbus A310-300/ET planes from Airbuscompany directly. On 3 November 2005, PIA placed an order to purchase seven ATR42-500 aircraft fromATR to replace its aging fleet of Fokker F27 aircraft. On 6 December 2005, PIA acquired another new Boeing 777-200ER on a ten-year lease from theInternational Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). The aircraft was delivered in January 2007 to the airline.
On 25 February 2006, Boeing delivered its first 777-200LR to PIA, when it flew from Everett to Islamabad via Manchester. With the induction of long range aircraft in its fleet, PIA started offering non-stop flights from Toronto to Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore from 3 March 2006. PIA had also planned non-stop flights to New YorkChicagoWashington, and Houston but was not given permission by US authorities. Only the New York flight was given permission and it only is nonstop on the way back to Pakistan (from Pakistan to New York the flight stops in Manchester). ATR delivered two of the seven ordered airplanes by PIA in May and December 2006 respectively, following which the airline ceased using military Lockheed C-130 Hercules for passenger services in northern areas of Pakistan. The military planes were being used after the PIA Flight 688 accident. On 23 December 2006, PIA took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER.
A Boeing 777-300ER landing at London Heathrow from Lahore in 2011
A pair of Boeing 747s stored atSialkot in 2008 during the EU restrictions. However, once the ban was lifted the aircraft were back in use on all routes
On 5 March 2007, theEuropean Commissionbanned all but 9 planes of PIA's 42-plane fleet from flying to Europe citing safety concerns of its aging fleet. The ban was imposed following an on-site visit led byFederico Grandini, European Commission’s Air Safety Administrator.[18][19] The remaining 7, namely the fleet of Boeing 777s, was exempted from the ban.[20] PIA claimed that the ban was discriminatory and unjustifiable. On 26 March 2007, Tariq Saeed Kirmani was forced to resign after severe pressure from higher authorities because of the EU ban[citation needed]. Zafar Khan was appointed as the new chairman of Pakistan International Airlines. The ban on the eleven of thirty five aircraft was lifted after a period of four months on 5 July 2007, following another inspection by European Union's Air Safety Administration. Of the eleven aircraft, five wereBoeing 747-300s and the remaining six were Airbus A310-300s. On 29 November 2007, the EU completely removed the ban and PIA's entire fleet was permitted to fly to Europe.[21] To avoid any such embarrassment in future, PIA signed a deal to lease seven new Airbus A320-200 from Kuwait based leasing company ALAFCO. The aircraft were supposed to be delivered during 2008 and 2009 but the deal was cancelled before any delivery took place.

2010s[edit]

In 2010, PIA altered their livery . They replaced the previous tail design with a much larger version of the Pakistan national flag, and have added the text "Pakistan international" in gold writing underneath the large billboard style PIA on the fuselage. The green stripe has also been modified to include gold and has extended to the rear of the fuselage.
Most of PIA's fleet will use this livery until 2015, where their new livery will be introduced.
In February 2012, PIA ordered 5 more Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with delivery starting in 2015 which will wear a new livery. In 2014, PIA leased 4 boeing 737-800 from Travel service and Corendon airlines. PIA also published a tender for 4 Boeing 777-300ER. The airline also wanted to lease 4 ATRs. However, the bids for the 777's were not accepted due to bidding standards.[22] Later, The airline managed to lease A320 aircraft, and inducted 2 A320-214 series aircraft in its fleet, first in June and second in July 2014 with 180 all economy seating configuration but in July 2014 aircraft seating was reconfigured as 150 economy and 8 business class seats. Another wet leased A320-211 aircraft from Jordan Aviation joined PIA on August 11, 2014. In October 2014, airline again wet leased two B737-8 aircraft, and it also accepted bids to dry lease five ATR 72-500 series aircraft for eight years period. [23] [24]

Corporate management[edit]

Structure[edit]

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) is majority owned by the Government of Pakistan (87%) while the remainder (13%) by private shareholders. The airline is under the administration of Ministry of Defence the chairman of which is Muhammad Mian Nawaz Sharif . The airline is managed by managing director as well as the Board of Directors. The Board consists of nine independent non-executive members and has four sub-committees: an Audit Committee, Brand and Advertising Committee, Finance Committee, and Human Resource Committee each having its own charter and chairman. The MD leads the executive management of staff who run the airline. The airline's main headquarters are located atKarachi Airport while smaller sub head offices are located in several cities within Pakistan.

Privatization[edit]

PIA corporate head office at JIAP Terminal-1, Karachi
PIA offices in Lahore
In the late 1990s, the Government of Pakistan considered selling the airline to the private sector due to the persistent losses suffered by the airline. The Government announced its privatization plans but they were never implemented. Several steps towards outsourcing of non-core business have been initiated. Catering units (starting with Karachi Flight Kitchen), ground handling (starting with ramp services) and engineering, are to be gradually carved out of the airline and operated as independent companies. During 1997, Pakistan called in a team from International Finance (IFC), the consulting arm of the World Bank, to advise on restructuring and privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). However, no agreement was reached.[25] The government has had many plans for the privatization of the State owned airline. However, no reasonable agreement or solution has been found to this day. On 18 February 2009 the carrier was dropped from the privatization list.[26]

Financial performance[edit]

The following table gives the key financial results for 2011 along with those since 2004[27][28] The financial performance for FY 2011 continues to be a challenge with an after tax loss of PKR 26.767 billion. This was preceded by six consecutive loss making years dating back to 2005. The airline did report a reduction of post tax losses of 83% in 2009 (compared to 2008) based on a reduction in fuel cost, comparatively stable exchange rate for the Pakistan Rupee and higher revenues. But in 2011 & 2010, losses again rose sharply compared to the previous years.
The airline faces many challenges to its profitability such as staffing levels and overall management issues. An employee count of 18,014 for a fleet of 40 aircraft [27][28] is clearly an area that needs to be reviewed.
To increase revenue, the Prime Minister of Pakistan approved induction of 20 new generation narrow-bodied, 4 boeing 777-300ER and 4 ATR-72-500. These aircraft will replace the older fleet of PIA. Currently, A310 consumes $5,500 of oil whereas a 737-900ER would consume $2,500 worth of oil. In addition, with 85% seat factor and 12.5 hours of aircraft usage daily, an addition of 72 billion rupees or 720 million dollars of revenue will be achieved. This will also greatly decreases the employee-aircraft employee ratio which currently sits at 776 per aircraft, one of highest in the world. Moreover, the boeing 777 will be used on long routes instead of short routes. This would help reduce the cost of engine overhaul, which is based on flight cycles. Lastly, 35 employees making 1 million rupees per month will also be audited.[29]
Revenues [30]
YearRevenues (PKR in Million)Profit/(Loss) (PKR in Million)Employees (Ave.)
2014 (H1)53,300(10,130)19,000
201395,771(95,000)16,604
2012112,130(33,180)17,439
2011116,551(26,767)18,014
2010107,532(20,785)18,019
200994,564(5,822)17,944
200888,863(36,139)18,036
200770,481(13,399)18,149
200670,587(12,763)18,282
200564,074(4,412)19,263
200457,7882,30719,634
In recent years, PIA revenue and source of income has been dropping significantly. In 2010, PIA carried 1,454,000 kg of mail. In 2013, PIA managed just 648,000 of mail. Additionally, PIA's revenue from excess baggage, passenger load factor and passenger kilometer flow are among many that have been declining steadily.[31]
Passenger Traffic [30]
YearRevenue Passengers (Million)Passenger Load FactorAverage Passenger Stage Distance (Statute KM)
20134,449702,751
20125.236702,650
20115.953722,631
20105.538742,827
20095.535702,510
20085.617712,479
20075.415672,527
20075.415672,527
20065.732692,639
20055.499702,638
It is also interesting to note that for 2011, about 81% of revenue is from passenger traffic and only 5% from cargo. Another 7.8% is from room food and beverage sales.The remaining 6% is from excess baggage, charter, engineering services, handling & related services, mail & other.[28]

Destinations[edit]

PIA first A320 series aircraft on its delivery at Benazir Bhutto International AirportIslamabad in July 2014
As of July 2014 PIA serves 22 domestic and 30 international destinations in 21 countries across Asia, Europe and North America from its home bases of KarachiLahoreIslamabadand Peshawar.[32][33]
Dubai is a major focus city for the airline with flights toDera Ghazi KhanFaisalabadIslamabadKarachi,LahoreMultanPeshawar and Quetta.

Codeshare agreements[edit]

According to PIA flight schedule they have codeshare agreements with the following airlines to three destinations, namely Ürümqi, Bangkok and Istanbul respectively.[34]

Fleet[edit]

Pakistan International Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of July 2014).[35] Pakistan International Airlines average fleet age is 16.5 years.[36]
Several PIA aircraft parked in Islamabad.
Boeing 747-367 (AP-BFX) on final approach to London Heathrow Airportin 2004
Pakistan International Airlines Fleet
AircraftTotalOrdersOptionPassengersNotes
JQYTotal
Airbus A310-300900120195207
Airbus A320-200600801501583 on dry lease and 3 on wet lease
ATR 42-500600084048
ATR 72-500050006060All leased. Arriving in November and December[37]
Boeing 737-80022000180180All wet leased. 2 arriving this year[38]
Boeing 747-30010000503503Last B747 to be grounded end of this year
Boeing 777-200ER40035542403291 on lease from ILFC
Boeing 777-200LR2003560215310Launch customer
Boeing 777-300ER3503554304393Delivery in 2015
Total33120

Livery[edit]

National flag tail introduced by PIA in 2010
In December 2003 PIA introduced a new image that was applied to their first Boeing 777-200ER and on two newly leased A310s, one of which was in service. The livery was white at the front and beige at the rear separated by a dark green stripe. The tail was painted white with a new typeface PIA acronym written in dark green. The Pakistan title was added to the front fuselage in all raised letters and the engines were painted in beige colour. The PIA logo written in calligraphic Urdu was added just behind the cockpit. thumbnailHowever, due to criticism the design was modified before the first Boeing 777 was delivered. PIA replaced the tail with a flowing Pakistan flag on a beige background. Pakistan titles were removed and the PIA acronym was enlarged and moved onto the fuselage. The engines and Urdu PIA remained the same. The leased A310s and most of PIA fleet also adopted this livery at a later date. In early 2006 the airline launched four new tail designs for its fleet. The tails represented the four provinces of Pakistan:SindhPunjabKhyber Pakhtoonkhwa andBalochistan.[39] The tails promoted the cultures of the four provinces of Pakistan by applying motifs to the tails and adding a city name to the rear of the fuselage corresponding to the province. The "Frontier" tail represented the "Phulkari" (flowering) pattern, which reflected a tradition of embroidery generally done on shawls, shirts and linen. The "Punjab" tail was loosely related to the tile decoration of the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore. The "Balochistan" tail showed the creativity seen in the local kilims, carpets and rugs woven with wool, goat or camel hair and mixed yarn. The pattern is mostly bold geometric motifs in primary colours dominated by red. The "Sindh" tail was influenced by the Hala tile work with electric blue and white floral patterns. In 2009 management stopped the application of provincial tails, deeming them too costly.
PIA launched their new livery in early April 2010. An Airbus A310, Boeing 777–200 and Boeing 747–300 were the first aircraft to wear the new look. The livery was unveiled at the PIA headquarters on a Boeing 777 model.[40][41]
The livery consists of a green and gold strip running around the bottom of the fuselage and continuing right up until the tail cone. The forward/upper portion is white and at the rear it is an off white/beige colour. The bottom part of the tail blends into the upper fuselage as it is too white, with the rest of the tail painted with a large wavy Pakistan flag, which takes up the whole tail, in a dark green colour. At the front of the fuselage 'PIA' is written in a billboard style in dark green and underneath 'Pakistan International' is written in gold. Just behind the cockpit there is a stylized Urdu PIA logo as well as on the engines. Underneath, 'Pakistan' is written in bold on the aircraft belly.
In July 2014 on delivery of first A320 series aircraft, PIA introduced "crescent and star" on aircraft engines out of Urdu PIA logo.

Former Fleet[edit]

Pakistan International Airlines' Fokker F27 at Lahore International Airport in January 2006
AircraftIntroducedRetired
Airbus A300B4-20019802005
Airbus A321 (Wet-leased)20062007
Boeing 707-340C19601992
Boeing 720B19621986
Boeing 737-30019852014
Boeing 747-200B19762000
Boeing 747-200B Combi19792011
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter19701992
Douglas DC-319551967
Fokker F-27 Friendship19612006
Hawker Siddeley Trident 1E19661970
Lockheed L.1049 Super Constellation19541969
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-3019741987
Sikorsky S-61N19631967
Tupolev Tu-154 (Wet-leased)19961996
Vickers Viscount 81519591966

Services[edit]

Cabin[edit]

PIA B777 Business Plus cabin - May 2014
PIA operate a three class configuration on its domestic routes: Business Plus,Economy Plus+ and Economy. On their international flights a two class configuration, Business Plus and Economy, has remained popular. According to their Annual Report 2007, PIA recorded a seat factor of 69%, a percentage drop from 2006.[42] PIA Business Plus passengers are offered lie-flat bed seats on all Boeing 777 as well as selected Airbus A310 aircraft.

Newspapers and magazines[edit]

The PIA in-flight magazine, Humsafar (Urdu for "travel companion"), is provided to all passengers on all flights. Humsafar was introduced in 1980 and is printed and published in-house bi-monthly. General Urdu and English newspapers and magazines are available to all Business Plus and Economy Plus class passengers. Free newspapers are provided to all Economy class passengers.

Frequent flyer programme[edit]

PIA Awards Plus+ is the frequent flyer programme. The programme allows passengers to get free tickets, excess baggage vouchers, cabin upgrades, and a variety of rewards, special deals, and discounts with participants. Awards Plus+ has three tiers of membership — Emerald, Sapphire and Diamond. Awards Plus+ miles can be earned by flying PIA and by using the products and services of PIA's partners.

Catering[edit]

PIA Catering is the main suppliers of meals for the airline. It can produce 15,000 passenger meals each day.[43] However, since 2006, the management of the flight kitchens has been given to Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS).[44] PIA Catering provides special meals to allow for passengers' dietary and religious needs. PIA does not serve alcohol on its flights, nor is pork served on board because of religious law.

Cargo operations[edit]

PIA "Speedex" corporate logo
PIA operates a cargo delivery system within Pakistan. During the early 1970s, PIA operated a service called "Air Express" that delivered documents and parcels from one airport to another. Pakistan International Cargo was started in 1974 using two Boeing 707-320C, with services to the Middle East and Europe. The operations ended in the late 1990s when both aircraft were grounded. PIA Cargo transports goods across Pakistan as well as to international destinations. These include meat and vegetables, textiles, paper products, laboratory equipment[45] and postal mail.[46]
In 2003 PIA launched "'PIA Speedex'", a courier service in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi/Islamabad; expanding within a year to 12 cities. Today, the airline offers over 70 locations within Pakistan, with shipments collected and delivered from customers' homes. From 2004 to September 2007, PIA Cargo operated two Airbus A300 Freighter aircraft chartered through MNG Airlines to Haan and Luton; initially these also operated to AmsterdamBasel and Cologne.

Corporate sponsorship[edit]

The airline has sponsored events, both within Pakistan and in its overseas markets.
In the 1990s, the airline launched the three green stripe livery to represent its support for sports. The airline supports the Pakistan International Airlinesfirst-class cricket team that plays in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and Patron's Trophy. PIA sponsors the PIA football club, and the A1 Team Pakistan in the A1 Grand Prix open-wheel auto racing series when it was initially launched. The airline also promotes theShandur Polo Gala, that takes place every year in theChitral and Gilgit regions of northern Pakistan during the summer period.[47] PIA also has its own Sports Division since 1958 promoting sports within Pakistan such as cricket, hockey, football, squash, polo, tennis, bridge, chess, table tennis, cycling, and body building. PIA has its own Boy Scouts Association (PIA-BSA) working in partnership with Pakistan Boy Scouts Association. After the earthquake, PIA-BSA worked in partnership with other charity organisations to provide relief help.
A PIA B747-3 registered AP-BFU with national flag tail.
PIA was one of the official sponsors of the "Destination Pakistan 2007" festivals. The official logo was added to a select number of aircraft during the year[48] In 2008, PIA teamed up with mobile phone provider, Ufone to provide air miles to passengers who used the mobile network. Standard Chartered Bank and PIA launched Credit Cards allowing passengers to earn air miles for use of their credit cards.[49] In 2009, PIA was the gold sponsor for Logistics Pakistan, an Exhibition and Conference poised to highlight the emerging opportunities for the Logistics sector in Pakistan. In 2009, PIA and Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI) formed a strategic alliance to promote world money transfers.[50]
PIA has Planetariums in Karachi and Lahore which enable the public to see static aircraft as well as astronomy shows. PIA Horticulture, set up in 1996, provides flowers for display in PIA's offices and for events, winning awards and accolades at flower exhibitions across the country. The airline supports non-profit organisations within Pakistan such as; Al-Shifa Trust, Zindagi TrustThe Citizens Foundationand Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT).[51] In 2009, PIA teamed up with the fast-food franchise, McDonalds, to offer passengers discounts on meals and upgrades.[52] PIA also owns three hotels, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Scribe Hotel and Skyrooms (Private) Limited.[53] The airline also has an agreement with Pearl Continental Hotels for its UAEbased passengers.[54]

Special operations[edit]

Charter services[edit]

PIA operates private charter flights using ATR 42s toBhitKadanwari and Sehwan Sharif in Sindh as well as to other parts of the country for oil and gas companies and other customers. Ad hoc charters for United Nations peacekeeping troops are also carried out to Africa and Eastern Europe, Asia (South Korea,AfghanistanTajikistanEast Timor) and many other International destinations using Boeing (747, 777, 737) & Airbus 310 . PIA Charter Team provide them Executive services

Hajj and Umrah operations[edit]

PIA (Pakistan international) operates a two-month (pre- and post-) Hajj operation each year to and fromJeddah and sometimes Madinah in Saudi Arabia. PIA transports over 130,000 intending pilgrims each year from KarachiLahoreIslamabadPeshawarQuetta,FaisalabadMultanSialkot, and Sukkur to theKingdom of Saudi Arabia with its fleet of Boeing 747-300 and Boeing 777-200ER.[citation needed]

State officials transportation[edit]

Callsign "PAKISTAN 001" carrying the President on PIA's Boeing 707photographed in Germany, c.1961
PIA has been continuously serving government officials of Pakistan, and has always transported the President and Prime Minister on overseas visits. During the late 1990s, a PIA Boeing 737–300[55] was used for official visits by the Bhuttoand Sharif governments. The aircraft wore official government colours but was later repainted in the airline official colours at the end of the decade. When the government changed after a military coup in 1999, the Boeing 737-300 was transferred to PIA permanently. The President and Prime Minister then resorted to using two of PIA's Airbus A310-300 for official visits, while rare trips were done on regular commercial flights of the airline. In February 2007 thegovernment of Qatar gifted one of their VIP fleetA310[56] to the Pakistani government, this has ended the need for use of PIA aircraft. However, from time to time the government uses the airline's Boeing 737 or Airbus A310 for official trips.




















1 comment:

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