07-01-2007, 01:02 AM
The Adviser to the Prime Minister the other day addressing the post budget press conference stated PIA was a white elephant. I do not agree to this version as to me PIA still is one of good institutions Pakistan still has and is not any burden. The white elephants are the 330 per aircraft extra lumeneries, big mouth eaters, aloofs inducted forcefully inducted in it by the Government treating it as employment exchange. That is why last month I addressed you response to which I still await that send these 330 extra burdens back home only to fetch salaries on 1st of each and as an initiator I posed to close PIA Bahrain Office and assign the duty of booking to cabinet crew.
Last week traveling on an international flight I found myself in a most comfortable atmosphere with family friend cabin crew. Every member of the cabin crew was really like respecting his/her personal home guest.
During the flight the Senior Purser welcoming the passenger described the PIAâs new incentive scheme Award Plus advising the passengers they can pick up PIAâs House Journal âHamsafarâ from the seat jackets to fill up registration Form. I did not need any registration but knowing well ground staff performance I searched 6 pockets nearing me none of which had any copy of Hamsafar. Later I stood up and with help of some other passenger I searched the Magazine but could not. Most of these jackets had 2 to 3 safety instruction pamphlets, some had comment cards and some none.
On my request the very nice and gentle Mr. Chishti the Chief Purser came to me. I told him 80% passengers traveling in the flight were foreigner Sri Lankans, Indians and some Nepalese. The Sri Lankans and Indians were very educated people. Since I live amongst them hence I knew how they would be reacting on not finding the Magazine as announced and what image of Pakistan it would be creating in their mind. Mr. Chishti told me he was facing this problem continuously. According to him only a week back he had pointed out this problem in the meeting but his helplessness.
Putting and providing such items in the flight is duty of ground staff and it is not the duty of cabin crew to ensure availability. If there is any shortage or due to any economical reason every seat jacket can not be provided such items then a wise management should properly inform the senior purser or captain of the flight so that they may announce accordingly eg advise if anyone was interested the concerned item was available with cabin crew.
It is my firm belief PIA flying engineers, pilots and cabin crew is competent enough to flying the better image of PIA and a soft image of Pakistan which are President so keenly wishes to. This is the ground staff which is giving bad name to the PIA eg. Crooks sitting on seat reservations, at check-in-counter incompetent officials supervising etc.
If this 330 extras recruited mostly on political backings are sent back home and PIA is run by 130 per air craft and cabin crew, PIAâs image and performance would be much much better and long standing customers like me would never have any frustration.
Last week traveling on an international flight I found myself in a most comfortable atmosphere with family friend cabin crew. Every member of the cabin crew was really like respecting his/her personal home guest.
During the flight the Senior Purser welcoming the passenger described the PIAâs new incentive scheme Award Plus advising the passengers they can pick up PIAâs House Journal âHamsafarâ from the seat jackets to fill up registration Form. I did not need any registration but knowing well ground staff performance I searched 6 pockets nearing me none of which had any copy of Hamsafar. Later I stood up and with help of some other passenger I searched the Magazine but could not. Most of these jackets had 2 to 3 safety instruction pamphlets, some had comment cards and some none.
On my request the very nice and gentle Mr. Chishti the Chief Purser came to me. I told him 80% passengers traveling in the flight were foreigner Sri Lankans, Indians and some Nepalese. The Sri Lankans and Indians were very educated people. Since I live amongst them hence I knew how they would be reacting on not finding the Magazine as announced and what image of Pakistan it would be creating in their mind. Mr. Chishti told me he was facing this problem continuously. According to him only a week back he had pointed out this problem in the meeting but his helplessness.
Putting and providing such items in the flight is duty of ground staff and it is not the duty of cabin crew to ensure availability. If there is any shortage or due to any economical reason every seat jacket can not be provided such items then a wise management should properly inform the senior purser or captain of the flight so that they may announce accordingly eg advise if anyone was interested the concerned item was available with cabin crew.
It is my firm belief PIA flying engineers, pilots and cabin crew is competent enough to flying the better image of PIA and a soft image of Pakistan which are President so keenly wishes to. This is the ground staff which is giving bad name to the PIA eg. Crooks sitting on seat reservations, at check-in-counter incompetent officials supervising etc.
If this 330 extras recruited mostly on political backings are sent back home and PIA is run by 130 per air craft and cabin crew, PIAâs image and performance would be much much better and long standing customers like me would never have any frustration.