Free tickets cost PIA Rs30 million during 2017-19
August 26, 2021 03:02 PM
In a startling disclosure, it has emerged that despite facing a fiscal deficit of billions of rupees, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) distributed 1,153 tickets to its favourites between 2017 and 2019 for free, thus causing a loss of over Rs30 million to the organisation, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
According to an audit report, the tickets, airline’s management awarded to its own employees, are separate from these 1,153 tickets in question.
The report tells that 535 tickets were distributed in 2017 while 561 in 2018. “In the financial year (FY) 2019, the national flag carrier dished out 57 tickets to its blue-eyed boys,” the report reveals.
The report informs that the airline had faced fiscal deficit of Rs51 billion in 2017, of over Rs67 billion in the following year, 2018 and of over Rs55 billion in 2019.
The audit report says that the PIA management ought to have exercised frugality and refrained from taking unwanted steps rather than awarding tickets for free.
Sources have told 24News that free tickets were allegedly given by PIA Chief Commercial Officer Ali Tahir Qasim to the ticketing agents.
Reporter Usman Javed