Trade Chronicle Sep-Oct 2015

TRADE CHRONICLE
Aviation & Hotels News
PIA records Rs2.8bn profit in first quarter of this year
The Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA) recorded a gross operating
profit of Rs2.83 billion in the first
quarter of this year and its revenue
increased by six per cent as
compared to last year, the aviation
ministry said recently.
Addressing a Press briefing with
Fariha Tahir Shah of the Civil Aviation
Authority, Sher Ali Khan, a
spokesman for the aviation division,
said efforts made by the prime
minister’s special assistant on aviation
had made the recovery possible.
Mr Khan said that in 2014-15 the
national carrier had reduced its loss
by 37 per cent.
“The turnaround is visible because the
PIA has increased its fleet size from
22 aircraft in 2013 to 35 planes at
present and plans are under way to
increase the size to 42 by the end of
this year,” he said.
Take a look: PIA to acquire 12 planes
on dry lease. Mr Khan said that in
2013-14 the loss before tax suffered
by PIA stood at Rs27.45bn which
was reduced to Rs8.62bn in 2014-15.
“After grounding the A-310 aircraft
and acquiring 777 aircraft, the
average fleet age will come down to
six years from 20 years earlier,” he
said, adding that the measures had
improved service standards of the
airlines.
He said that in an effort to reduce
costs, PIA closed its loss-making
international routes and shut down
offline stations like Chicago, Istanbul
and Sydney, from where the airlines
did not operate flights.
The spokesman also highlighted the
positive outcomes of the National
Aviation Policy 2015 which “led to
inauguration of the Multan
International Airport, development of
the BBIAP, Islamabad, and
construction of the Haj lounge at the
Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore”.
Qatar gifts 8 infield
shuttle buses to PIA
The Government of Qatar has gifted
8 Co-Busses to Captain Shujaat
Azeem, Special Assistant to the
Prime Minister on Aviation. These
busses are manufactured for
transporting passengers from terminal
to aircraft. The cost of these busses
is around Rs 200 million. Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif enjoys cordial
and brotherly relations with Qatar.
This gift is a token of friendship and
brotherhood between the two Islamic
countries.
The induction of these busses is in
line with the vision of Prime Minister
and Special Assistant to Prime
Minister, Captain Shujaat Azeem to
modernise the aviation industry of
Pakistan.
Etihad Airways has won the
prestigious ‘Airline of the Year’
title at the Travel Trade Gazette
(TTG) awards in the United
Kingdom. The awards ceremony
was held at the famous Lyceum
Theatre in London.
Etihad Airways
Wins ‘Airline of the year’
Award in UK
Peter Baumgartner, Chief
Commercial Officer at Etihad
Airways, said: “We are delighted to
have been recognised by the Travel
Trade Gazette and UK travel trade,
who have voted Etihad Airways as
the ‘Airline of the Year’.
Trade Chronicle - September - October 2015 - Page # 33