PIA’s chief operations officer sacked - Tabdeeli Starts

[pzfz]

Instead of firing everyone why not give PIA more planes and expand it’s network?

Secondly PIA should have a dedicated cargo fleet, as Cargo has better margins then commercial passenger flights

Because those expanded domestic routes are not feasible. Not yet at least. No one cares if Dera Ghazi Khan is not served by an airline, there are trains for that, and Multan is not far off. Add to that the cost of having to maintain a station with support staff, station manager, air traffic controller, maintenance and tech support etc... These routes are there for political reasons, not commercial - same reason PIA uses valuable cabin space by having business class seats on its narrowbodies even though they're mostly used by non-rev passengers and govt employees. Increasing frequencies, however, between the regional destinations and domestically viable cities already served can go a long way in servicing the needs of businessmen who are the key to make air travel profitable in Pak.

Air cargo is a function of domestic industrial and export capability. Rail freight is cheaper and road freight is more readily available in Pak. Pak simply does not have much to export (yet) that requires the timely delivery capability that air cargo is used for in the world. Whatever it does have currently can be taken care of by other airlines and the belly cargo space available on all its planes.

PIA has to be looked at in a holistic manner not only involving the airline industry, but all modes of logistics and travel. For that Pak needs a transport ministry and manifesto that most efficiently delivers people and cargo to their destinations.