Foreign Airlines to Pakistan, A Service To The Nation

[Amaad Lone]

By operating 60 odd flights into Pakistan, Emirates is providing a service to the Pakistani consumers.

Emirates along with other foreign airlines are helping our businessmen, students and holiday makes to get to their desired destination at a reasonable price.

A service that a Pakistani airline should have been providing is being provided by a foreign airline, and still we are critical of them.

At a time when European, American or Far East airlines have refused to serve Pakistan, or have pulled out due to security reasons, the Middle East carriers stepped in and filled in the gaps.

Can you imagine the airfares from Pakistan to Europe, and America had these airlines not been flying to Pakistan?

Had the Pakistani consumer been left to the mercy of Pakistan International Airlines, we would be paying twice the amount in airfares with the worst possible services.

The Pakistani economy in the last ten years has probably doubled, which means more exports and imports, more traveling public, for business and holiday. But what did PIA do to cater for this growing business. Did see PIA expanding flights to any of its destinations, or increasing capacity to any of its destinations?

Once prime example can be China, which was served by two 707 flights in the early 1980s and is still served by two A310 flights a weeks. The trade between Pakistan and China must have increased ten folds in the past ten years, but what did PIA do to cater for this growth, NOTHING.

The airlines of the Middle East saved Pakistanis from the harassment and humiliation that would have dished out by P.I.A.

Why are fares higher from Lahore to Europe and the US, and lower from Karachi?
It’s because citizens of Lahore until recently only had 4 weekly Emirates flights, so the demand on PIA was higher, therefore higher fares.

Who suffered due to the lack of choice, the traveling public which paid higher fares.

I think Emirates should be given a medal for serving the Pakistani public and saving them money which otherwise would have been paid to PIA in form of higher fares.

[cpt_747]

Very well written.. I could not agree with you anymore. Alikes of Emirates have surely made Pakistanis' lives easier and has helped local businesses expand internationally. Plus the service is great, whether you travel in business class or in economy. Surely the alikes of Emirates deserve medals for serving the purpose that PIA failed to do so miserably.

[faisal-777]

It's pretty much law in a business world. If you leave a gap, someone else automatically moves to fill it in. However, it's the international flying customer who has found as solution, domestic passengers are still pretty much forced to fly via PIA to most of destinations. And probably that's what keeping PIA alive somehow !