20000205

Business demand PIA

flights from F'abad

to Dubai, Jeddah

RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: Business circles and exporters have expressed surprise over the PIA's proposal to introduce two direct flights from Multan to Jeddah in a week and ignoring Faisalabad the second biggest industrial and exporting city of the country.

In a statement issued here Thursday, Mian Naeem Omer, Chairman, All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association (APCEA) said that PIA had introduced international flights from Faisalabad to Dubai in May 1999, but the operation was suspended after three months on the plea that PIA was short of aircraft and as soon as the grounded air planes were repaired the operation would be resumed. Now instead of resuming the flights from Faisalabad they have announced to start the flights from Multan to Jeddah which was sheer injustice with and unfair to Faisalabad, said Mian Naeem Omer.

Ch Javed Sadiq of All Pakistan Cotton Powerlooms Association (APCPLA) expressing his views said that the exporters of the region had spent Rs 5.5 million on alteration and modification of Faisalabad airport to make it suitable for international flights but when the airport building was ready the PIA abruptly suspended the Dubai flights from Faisalabad without any prior information and reasons. He said that when the PIA was asked about the suspension it was informed that the flights were temporarily suspended for technical reasons and would be resumed within a fortnight but since then the flights have not been resumed.

Zahid Aslam of sizing association, commenting on the announcement said that PIA had suspended the Dubai flights from Faisalabad for the reasons that the passenger load was only 47 percent on average for the period during the operation from Faisalabad to Dubai but the passengers load on Multan-Dubai route was also 45-50 percent, as admitted by district manager PIA Multan. If international flights from Multan could be started on 45 percent passengers load why not from Faisalabad which was showing 47 percent passengers load, he asked.

The exporters and business circles have appealed to the authorities concerned to start international Dubai Jeddah flights from Faisalabad city as there was great potential for passengers load and cargo load and promotion of export of the country.