National Flag Carrier Cargo fleet requires some extra effort to retake its Cargo business

Premium Quality of Air crafts are important for long Cargo routes

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.

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 PIA is using three outdated jumbo jets for Cargo purpose.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.

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.

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.

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.