THE row between the administration of the Pakistan International Airlines and its pilots' association has finally ended. It appears that the demands of the pilots have been accepted and the latter have assured the management that they will resume their duties diligently. Which they were performing in a manner far removed from when the strike was going on. Not the full-on "shutter down" equivalent of the airline industry but a "go slow" strike, one that saw the airline losing much money and goodwill. Long queues of passengers were seen distressed by the cancellation of some flights and the delay of others. Without getting into the specifics of the agreement and the deal itself, something has to be said about the costs of the strike. While the costs in terms of lost revenue and reimbursed tickets is easily quantifiable, nothing can peg the quantum of goodwill lost correctly. Or, in terms of the more quantifiable, the amount of revenue that is to be lost as a result of that. Rather than presenting the image of a smartly turned out airline (which it doesn't even without a strike) PIA presented the image of a dilapidated third world airline that does not have its affairs in order. Surely better means of communication should be designed to ensure things don't come to this. And the pilots should also not be as petulant as not to accept anything from the other side. As far as the demands of the pilots is concerned, PALPA sources have said that they are now willing to extend their "full cooperation and support for bringing the airline out of financial crisis." That would be tough. Airlines throughout the world are going through a bad time. A lot of them are laying people off. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. If the pilots want PIA to become a swift, streamlined and efficient organization, they're going to have to put up with the massive layoffs and cutting of perks and privileges that other, more professionally run airlines are indulging in.