Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has raised eyebrows by appointing staff in the United Kingdom (UK) despite a severe financial crisis and a three-year ban on direct flights to the country.
The country manager is set to receive an annual salary of £70,000, while the passenger sales manager and finance manager will earn £55,000 each. Additionally, a manager at the Manchester station was appointed with an annual salary of £55,000, along with other perks.
PIA’s spokesperson defended the airline’s actions, stating that they continue to operate flights in the UK through code sharing with Turkish Airlines, generating an annual revenue of £14 million. The spokesperson emphasized that a mere 1.8% of these earnings go towards PIA staff in the UK.
They expressed optimism regarding the resumption of direct flights between Pakistan and the UK, citing the appointments as a preparation for the anticipated reopening.
This news comes on the heels of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) freezing 26 bank accounts of PIA over unpaid taxes exceeding Rs. 8 billion. While FBR claimed that PIA had pledged to pay Rs. 2 billion in dues in August, the airline failed to meet this commitment. Nevertheless, the PIA spokesperson assured that this will not disrupt the airline’s flight operations.
