Observer Report
Islamabad
The Pakistan International Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Air Marshal Arshad Malik, on Sunday wrote a letter to the Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan requesting a moratorium on CAA charges till the Covid-19 situation normalizes. He said this could greatly help the national carrier in mitigating the financial woes.
“This step from CAA will not only ensure the survival of the airline industry in Pakistan but will also keep saving thousands of jobs in the airline and allied sectors,” he said. He said Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority like institutions could help national carrier in dealing with the financial crisis due to Covid-19.
Air Marshal Arshad Malik said that the aviation industry has been hit hard due to the coronavirus and added that PIA managed to cope with the financial crisis initiating special flights but PIA on its own could not deal with the magnanimous crisis so the CAA and the federal government should help in the testing time.
“We once again reiterate that the airline industry is passing through the worst crisis of history, as the situation is turning much worse than it was initially thought.
Unfortunately, even after surviving for three months in coronavirus, the airline industry is under immense stress due to challenging future outlook… under pressure, many airlines around the globe have declared bankrupts and laid off their employees,” reads the letter.
