PIA CEO requests govt for moratorium on CAA charges

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik on Sunday wrote a letter to the Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan requesting a moratorium on CAA charges till the COVID-19 situation normalizes. He said this could greatly help the national carrier in mitigating the financial woes, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

“This step from CAA will not only ensure the survival of the airline industry in Pakistan but will also keep saving thousands of jobs in the airline and allied sectors,” the PIA CEO said.

He said Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) like institutions could help national carrier in dealing with the financial crisis due to COVID-19.

The CEO said that the aviation industry has been hit hard due amid the coronavirus. Arshad Malik said that PIA managed to cope with the financial crisis initiating special flights but PIA on its own could not deal with the magnanimous crisis so the CAA and the federal government should help in the testing time.

“We once again reiterate that the airline industry is passing through the worst crisis of history, as the situation is turning much worse than it was initially thought. Unfortunately, even after surviving for three months in coronavirus, the airline industry is under immense stress due to challenging future outlook… under pressure, many airlines around the globe have declared bankrupts and laid off their employees,” reads the letter.

“PIA has made all-out efforts to remain afloat against all odds and has operated a substantial number of relief flights to utilize its resources in absence of a regular schedule. Despite our efforts this challenge is too enormous to be handled by PIACL {PIA Corporation Limited} alone, to surmount it we need the help of Government of Pakistan and its esteemed institutions like CAA,” the letter read.