Austere PM saves Rs100m on US visit

[Devil Soul]

Austere PM saves Rs100m on US visit
By usman hanif
Jul.25,2019

The premier took commercial flights and scrapped practices of former premiers of engaging at least two long-haul jets

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan has made history by saving public money worth over Rs100 million, as he took commercial flights for the US trip and scrapped practices of former premiers of engaging at least two long-haul jets.

Mostly Boing 777, long-range wide-body twin-engine 300-seater jet airliner, served private convoys of previous prime ministers. It roughly costs Rs4-4.5 million per hour. Pakistan to US flight takes more than 14 hours on one side, said an aviation industry source who closely witnessed past practices.

“If we calculate, it becomes Rs112-126 million for a 28-hour round trip,” said the source. This equation does not include other arrangements made by the national-flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other government institutions, he added.

Intend to renew, reinvigorate Pak-US ties, says PM Imran at Capitol Hill

“It used to be a nuisance; we had to adjust flights as engagement of one aircraft means disturbance of entire schedule,” the source said. “Seats had to be disassembled for the arrangements and reassembled when the plane returned. PIA had to provide food according to their choices. It took three to four days.”

The source said that the PIA staff had to change seating arrangements in the plane according to the demands, which means that the staff had to remove all the seats to set up a drawing room, lounge, sleeping area, press conference area etc.

Also, fuel and dollar rates have gone up recently. With the rupee depreciating by around 32% in 2019 and jet fuel cost increasing by 25%, according to statistic recording website Statista, the cost of air travel has also increased.


Furthermore, PIA was also required to keep a similar aircraft on standby, in case the first one developed some fault. “If one aircraft is to skip three flights during the visit, the total cost would multiply,” the source said.

Heads of state of every country make visits to other countries so it is natural to keep an aeroplane, which could serve them timely without hindering the schedule of an airline or costing that much high.

Pakistan has two US-made 12-seater Gulfstream jets for the visits of the prime minister and the president. Last month, a report said, the federal government approved a supplementary grant of Rs410 million for the repair and maintenance of these two aircraft.

Gulfstream jets are managed by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and they are also fuel efficient so the cost is relatively less,” said the source, adding that the use of these jets also prevented any disruption in the PIA’s schedule.

Prime Minister Imran Khan took Gulfstream in his recent visits to the Middle Eastern countries but the previous prime ministers did not use this small plane; instead they took the Boing 777 even for visits to Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries

 

[IceCold]

A leader leads by example. So he did.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yet you will still find people who consider IK no better than Tooi and Zordari.
IKs first 6 foreign visits costed 40 million PKR. Toois one visit to UK costed 60 million.

 

[Foxtrot Delta]

After this i think i will dress up like imran khan whenever im in china or any other country abroad. Im same height and figure.. He looks amazing!!! No one wears pakistani dress simple yet so elegant . i love his dress!!! Especially this black one!

 

[war&peace]

“If we calculate, it becomes Rs112-126 million for a 28-hour round trip,” said the source. This equation does not include other arrangements made by the national-flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other government institutions, he added.

I think he saved a lot more since it is not just the travel time rather the airplane used to stay there for whole of the time.

 

[War Thunder]

Yet you will still find people who consider IK no better than Tooi and Zordari.
IKs first 6 foreign visits costed 40 million PKR. Toois one visit to UK costed 60 million.

How can the corrupt minded folk ever comprehend some one who is not corrupt?
Won't that raise question mark on their own existence and force them to consider correction? And that ofourse is too hard for most weak souls, so they will just support the corrupt mafia on a conscious and unconscious level.

 

[third eye]

I think it was a good step.

However , I wonder how his security was managed during the flight . Were other passengers screened, seating pattern etc

After all PM of a nation cannot be exposed to a nutcase travelling on the same flight

 

[El Sidd]

Where will the saved money be spent?

 

[third eye]

Where will the saved money be spent?

I suppose the expense would have been incurred by PIA hence the saving would be in terms of money not spent or reimbursed to the Airline.

Besides this, the saving would also be in the form of non diversion of flights from commercial routes & keeping it in the air to gain revenue.

My views entirely

 

[newb3e]

Where will the saved money be spent?

on your welfare

 

[PradoTLC]

I think it was a good step.

However , I wonder how his security was managed during the flight . Were other passengers screened, seating pattern etc

After all PM of a nation cannot be exposed to a nutcase travelling on the same flight

we made sure no indians were on the flight

 

[newb3e]

we made sure no indians were on the flight

other than security environment atmosphere must be clean then!

good move Pakistan!

 

[Rusty]

What really made me angry reading that article was that ganja would take a 777 with him... a plane meant to seat 300 people..... he would take it with his cronies and rishtedars...
and then he would have a second 777 on standby.....

We all know utter waste off a human Nawaz was, but this for some reason makes me so mad.

I want is AC/TV/ home food taken away asap and force him to live like 80% of the country. It is the smallest form of payment he can give for his misdeeds.

I think it was a good step.

However , I wonder how his security was managed during the flight . Were other passengers screened, seating pattern etc

After all PM of a nation cannot be exposed to a nutcase travelling on the same flight

I don't have any information on this but I imagine that they just booked mostly first/business class. you don't usually get the crazy yahoos in first/business class.

 

[Pakistansdefender]

Austere PM saves Rs100m on US visit
By usman hanif
Jul.25,2019

The premier took commercial flights and scrapped practices of former premiers of engaging at least two long-haul jets

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan has made history by saving public money worth over Rs100 million, as he took commercial flights for the US trip and scrapped practices of former premiers of engaging at least two long-haul jets.

Mostly Boing 777, long-range wide-body twin-engine 300-seater jet airliner, served private convoys of previous prime ministers. It roughly costs Rs4-4.5 million per hour. Pakistan to US flight takes more than 14 hours on one side, said an aviation industry source who closely witnessed past practices.

“If we calculate, it becomes Rs112-126 million for a 28-hour round trip,” said the source. This equation does not include other arrangements made by the national-flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other government institutions, he added.

Intend to renew, reinvigorate Pak-US ties, says PM Imran at Capitol Hill

“It used to be a nuisance; we had to adjust flights as engagement of one aircraft means disturbance of entire schedule,” the source said. “Seats had to be disassembled for the arrangements and reassembled when the plane returned. PIA had to provide food according to their choices. It took three to four days.”

The source said that the PIA staff had to change seating arrangements in the plane according to the demands, which means that the staff had to remove all the seats to set up a drawing room, lounge, sleeping area, press conference area etc.

Also, fuel and dollar rates have gone up recently. With the rupee depreciating by around 32% in 2019 and jet fuel cost increasing by 25%, according to statistic recording website Statista, the cost of air travel has also increased.


Furthermore, PIA was also required to keep a similar aircraft on standby, in case the first one developed some fault. “If one aircraft is to skip three flights during the visit, the total cost would multiply,” the source said.

Heads of state of every country make visits to other countries so it is natural to keep an aeroplane, which could serve them timely without hindering the schedule of an airline or costing that much high.

Pakistan has two US-made 12-seater Gulfstream jets for the visits of the prime minister and the president. Last month, a report said, the federal government approved a supplementary grant of Rs410 million for the repair and maintenance of these two aircraft.

Gulfstream jets are managed by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and they are also fuel efficient so the cost is relatively less,” said the source, adding that the use of these jets also prevented any disruption in the PIA’s schedule.

Prime Minister Imran Khan took Gulfstream in his recent visits to the Middle Eastern countries but the previous prime ministers did not use this small plane; instead they took the Boing 777 even for visits to Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries

This is actually to show people that their money is not wasted by their leaders so please pay taxes.