Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country’s national carrier remains a drain on the exchequer, severely dependent on hefty cash injections to remain operational as it consistently posts heavy losses each year. There are certain variables not under the control of any airline that adversely affect its bottom line such as increasing fuel costs or a global pandemic, but the quality of service and upkeep of its fleet are addressable ongoing problems that require constant attention. PIA’s losses are attributable to both sets of problems; those which it cannot do much about and the ones it can but is unable or simply unwilling to do anything about. PIA has a long history of air crashes, the most recent major incident taking place only last year with 97 killed, owing to a technical fault in the plane and an error on part of the pilot. Yesterday, passengers aboard a Karachi-bound PIA flight were forced to disembark from a plane after the pilot unsuccessfully attempted two take-offs and was about to go for a third. Although passengers did not doubt the competency and judgment of the pilot who had the presence of mind to make two emergency landings within time, their decision to exit the plane was rational given how the likelihood of the aircraft landing safely had become doubtful. Last month a PIA pilot taxied onto a runway at Toronto airport without clearance where an arriving Air Canada flight was just about to land.
Statistically, airline travel is still the safest way to travel, but there is always a risk of an unfortunate incident taking place despite all necessary precautions being taken pre-flight. However, when there are multiple close-calls after a major crash by the same airline in a span of one month, clearly there is a technical incompetency that needs to be immediately and thoroughly investigated and fixed. With a reputation of unlicensed pilots and a shoddy aircraft maintenance record, PIA is fast approaching the threshold of being labeled as an ‘at your own risk’ travel by air option. The only way to correct course is to improve the quality of its planes, pilots and overall service.
