Premium Quality of Air crafts are important for long Cargo
routes
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PIA |
PIA has lost its Cargo business due to bad conditions of its Planes
Not more than two or three decades ago when PIA was
considered as a prestigious Airlines of the world. Its quality service,
management and aircraft were considered in some of the bests. There are many
International Airlines flourishing their business that are trained by PIA or
PIA staff. Customer felt pride to travel in PIA internationally. Same the case
was with Cargo division of PIA. People especially chose PIA to send things and
cargo to their dear ones.
Now conditions have changed a lot. National Flag Carrier
is in severe conditions. Though it has some major profitable routes for
international destinations but
Air Cargo division is going to its
worst. The US and EU has banned PIA cargo services due to bad conditions of its
air crafts and due to security reasons they don’t allow PIA to take any Cargo
from any part of the world for their countries.
Some biased approach is also
there for Pakistan and there is no doubt that PIA has aged air crafts.
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Cargo Plane |
USA and European Union has banned PIA
Cargo Flights
International Air Travel or Cargo movements in aeroplanes
are required strict security policies and systems. Now a day Muslim countries
are under pressure of the label of Terrorism. The USA and European Union have
some reservations on this issue so they have banned many Muslim Airlines
including PIA, especially for Cargo purposes. There are some destinations where
passenger flights from the Muslim countries are also not allowed to land due to
security reasons.
According to a private TV channel, officials of the USA and European
Union have written a letter to PIA to stop its Cargo air traffic to these
destinations due to some security threats. The officials of PIA have noticed
this situation seriously and in trying to solve these issues soon on serious
grounds. By this ban, PIA has to face loss on daily basis and the amount is
huge one anyways.
Objections on PIA Cargo Fleet
The officials of the USA and European Union have some
serious objections on National Flag Carrier including security issues. PIA is
using three outdated jumbo jets for Cargo purpose. PIA is not in the conditions
to ground them till new planes are not added to the fleet. If PIA shut down its
cargo operations with all over the world due to lack of or unavailability of
good and new planes then its business will go to the wall and that is
impossible for the PIA and for Pakistan also.
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Cargo Plane |
The foreign officials have
several visits to check the workability of these Jumbo planes with Cargo and
have left some question marks on the conditions of these planes but PIA has no
option to choose except to fly them to maintain its expenditures and to earn
foreign exchange for its country.
Lack of good management has collapsed the
National Flag Carrier Cargo business
PIA started its Cargo operation fin the year of 1974 and
was taken as a supreme Airline very soon after its take off. Cargo flights
covered the whole world from Europe to Japan and from USA to Australia. With
the passage of time and due to bad management the National Flag Carrier went
down. Now PIA is taking its last breaths. Lack of management and good policies
that promote the business of PIA, the National Flag Carrier is in its worst
condition now a day. This Cargo restriction to the USA and European Union is
the open proof of bad condition of the National Flag Carrier. The days are gone
when sending
cargo to Pakistan from UK was easy, now the things have changed.
There is definitely need to renovate planes
or to buy new planes
If PIA wants to take its Cargo business on its peak once
again, then it is inevitable for PIA to renovate its Planes or add some new
planes into its Cargo Fleet.
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Air Cargo |
If we compare PIA cargo fleet with other
international Air Lines Cargo Planes then we feel the difference. There are
some International Airlines that were launched by or with the help of PIA in
the past and now they have become giants of this field such as the Emirates
Airlines of Dubai and the Etihad Airlines of Abudhabi and enjoying by getting
the lion share from this business and in well secured conditions in Cargo
business also.
To maintain Fuel cost is essential for
mobility of Cargo Planes
The real deficit of PIA is its fuel cost. Aged aircrafts
are not fuel efficient and become costly. New Cargo aircrafts are on its way to
Pakistan, equipped with new technology and also fuel efficient. PIA engineering
department is in try to renovate or replace parts of old aircrafts to make them
fuel efficient and to maintain the cost and profit ratio. Cargo business
affects a lot by the cost of fuel, so this will be a wise step.
Newly elected government has signed some
crucial agreements in this connection
To generate revenue for the economy of any country trade
and Cargo are key factors. Both of them generate lot of foreign Exchange for
any country. Trade and cargo by sea ports, roads, railways and air traffic are
important for any country. Newly elected government of Pakistan is very
determined to get back its cargo business to move its economy.
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Cargo Loading |
Some crucial
agreements are signed by the officials of the government in this connection.
There are seven to ten new Cargo aircrafts expecting to join PIA Cargo fleet this year. This would be
a good relief for the National Carrier action plan. PIA officials under the
government hand have negotiations with all international markets to get back
Cargo routes and there is a good hope that International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) will also help in this issue by giving clearance
certificate to the Cargo fleet of Pakistan. UK had banned PIA cargo operation
due to security reasons also in past and assurance giving by PIA officials to
follow international rules and regulations strictly allowed its operation, so
PIA is hopeful to recapture its cargo markets from the USA and European Union
very soon when new cargo aircrafts will join the National Flag Carrier. Planes
from Ukraine are hired and working for Pakistan now a day. The agreement with
WIND ROSE of Ukraine is a part of this chain.