The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) permission to fill 205 vacant positions within the company, overturning a ban on new hiring imposed by the court on 31 March.
In response to PIA’s request to expedite the hearing, seeking approval to hire over 250 new employees, the court’s two-member bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan reviewed the petition on Wednesday, with PIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) presenting their case before the court.
During the hearing, Justice Ayesha Malik raised concerns about PIA’s financial obligations and questioned the necessity of hiring more personnel. She also questioned the airline’s service quality, citing the additional monthly expense of Rs. 90 million that would be incurred due to the new hires.
In response, PIA’s CEO highlighted the airline’s profit of Rs. 3 billion over the last six months and outlined the company’s plans to revitalize and ensure its financial stability. These plans included successful flights and the expansion of new international and domestic routes.
Justice Ahsan sought clarification on the rationale behind the upcoming hires, to which the CEO explained that the hiring would be carried out on a one-year renewable contract basis.
After considering all arguments, the court instructed PIA to maintain transparency in the hiring process and approved 205 positions, which encompassed pilots, cabin crew, and experts. This number was slightly lower than the initially requested 250 positions.
