Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) union to
go on strike against privatization
Booking offices are set to remain closed on a
daily basis as the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) union, known as the
CBA union, has declared a strike in opposition to privatization.
During a press conference, President of the PIA
CBA consortium, Hidayatullah, announced the initiation of a two-hour token
strike on Thursday as a protest against the privatization efforts targeting the
national airline.
Hidayatullah conveyed a 48-hour ultimatum to
both the PIA administration and the interim government, urging them to halt the
privatization plans for the national carrier. He also stated that the union
would make significant decisions on Friday.
Earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation
(CCoP) had approved the privatization of the Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA), which has been grappling with severe financial challenges.
Pakistani
Aviation Minister calls for privatizing PIA to prevent projected losses of
Rs259 billion
Pakistan
approves outsourcing of three major airports
Following discussions, the CCoP members opted
to include Pakistan International Airlines Co. Ltd (PIA) as one of the active
privatization projects in the ongoing privatization program.
The move to privatize PIA comes as part of
broader efforts to curb losses incurred by state-owned enterprises.
Additionally, the national carrier plans to resume flights to the United
Kingdom and other European destinations by October.
In 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA) suspended Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) flight
operations to Europe due to safety concerns.
EASA explained that they suspended the Third
Country Operator (TCO) Authorization for PIA after the airline failed to comply
with proposed corrective action plans (CAPs).
The decision to outsource operations at three
international airports, situated in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, had been
taken by the previous PDM-led federal government.
Former Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique
had stated that the Islamabad International Airport would be outsourced for a
duration of 15 years.
This outsourcing initiative for the three
airports was initiated under a public-private partnership to engage private
investors and airport operators through a competitive and transparent selection
process.
Source: Daily Pakistan