PIA Ends Passenger Discounts and Cuts Flights as Jet Fuel Prices Surge
By Sadia Khan :
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has withdrawn most passenger discounts and reduced several flight operations as the national carrier struggles with a sharp rise in jet fuel prices.
A spokesperson for the airline said on Monday that all fare concessions had been discontinued, except those provided to children and infants. The decision comes as aviation fuel costs continue to climb amid global supply disruptions linked to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The spokesperson said the move followed a high-level meeting where officials discussed strategies to manage the financial pressure created by the rising fuel costs and to limit potential losses for the airline.
As part of the measures, PIA will also scale back its international operations. Flights to the United Arab Emirates will be limited to 16 per week, while services to other Gulf countries will remain suspended until the end of April, with the exception of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The airline has also decided to halt flights to Beijing and Kuala Lumpur from 11 April and 14 April respectively.
Officials said the decisions were taken after the fourth consecutive increase in jet fuel prices, which has significantly raised operational costs for the carrier. The spokesperson added that passing the full financial burden onto passengers was not feasible, prompting the management to introduce administrative measures to reduce expenses.
PIA expressed hope that global fuel prices would stabilise in the coming weeks, allowing the airline to restore affected routes.
The latest measures follow warnings from PIA Consortium Chairman Arif Habib, who last week raised concerns about the airline’s ability to sustain operations after jet fuel prices reportedly rose by around 150 percent. He urged the government to review the increase to help ease the pressure on the national carrier.
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