LAHORE -  PIA is going to suspend its New York flight operation by December this year and booking has been minimized by 50 percent from Thursday.

It is a failure on the part of current PIA CEO whose appointment has been challenged by 30 senators in Islamabad High Court, said a senior PIA officer seeking anonymity.

An officer serving in the Lahore booking office of PIA told this scribe, “We have stopped making reservations for PIA flight PK-721 operating from Lahore to New York on October 10, however, flight PK-711 operating on October 07, is available in system”.

Sources in the airline said that New York sector was making loss worth Rs 450 million annually and it was not even meeting its Direct Operating Cost (DOC). They said that it was due to poor marketing policies of the senior management of PIA wherein routes were given to foreign airlines. Those foreign airlines were operating on daily basis for New York with good meal, active In-Flight Entertainment System, low fares and efficient and willing crew members. PIA had purchased B-777-LR for long flights on inflated rate but now due to poor management this route was being closed.

On the other hand, 30 senators have filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court against appointment of PIA CEO and claimed that PIACL shortlisted three candidates including Musharraf Rasool Cyan, Muhammad Aijaz Haroon (Former employee & Managing Director) and Muhammad Junaid Yunis.

The credentials of the applicants were debated upon by PIACL’S board of directors in their meeting held on 07th July. PIACL’S board of directors said any person out of three could be appointmented. The petitioners contend that the impugned resolution was defective to the extent of the recommendation as put forth in favour of the beneficiary. The board invited Special Adviser to PM on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan as the observer but the adviser stepped beyond his role during the board meeting and recommended the name of Musharraf as the chief executive officer. Such role played by the adviser to the PM was contrary to the board proceedings and the rules. Board being dominated by government representatives cannot refuse the suggestions made by the adviser to the PM.

The petitioner further claimed that current CEO does not meet the requisite educational qualification required to be appointed to the office of CEO of PIACL. However, the lack of transparency in the appointment process can be gauged from the fact that the impugned resolution preferred the beneficiary over the other two (02) candidates.

The petition further speaks, the beneficiary’s employment application form and in particular the listings of his professional training, the only aviation-related professional training, that the beneficiary can boast of are certifications on corporate aviation management including leadership, motivation, finance and budgeting.

However, the more interesting aspect of the beneficiary’s aviation related credentials are that he had read for the certifications in the Month of May and June of 2017.If one were to proceed keeping in mind the terms of the advertisement, an ‘applicant’ was required to file his credentials within 15 days of the publication thereof. Since the advertisement was published on 20th May, the deadline for submissions of the application was 03rd June (the cutoff date). Without prejudice to the contentions raised, the petitioners submitted that the beneficiary was not accredited with the certifications just referred to on the cutoff date. He has, however, wrongly represented himself entitled to such accreditation through his ‘application form”.

When contacted Mashhud Tajwar said that no flight operation for New York had been suspended so far nor any order was issued regarding closure of booking. Regarding writ petition of the senators, he said the matter was in court and he could not speak on it.