Record earnings by PIA

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airline’s earnings are expected to touch Rs11.12 crore during the current financial year.

This meant a 91 per cent increase in two years, Air-Commodore Nur Khan, Managing Director of PIA, told the fifth Sales Conference of District Managers which opened in Karachi yesterday.

In March, the airline’s monthly earnings for the first time crossed the Rs1 crore mark. This was almost double the revenue for the same month two years ago.

The Managing Director said PIA was to buy three Boeing 720Bs, costing five million dollars each to boost its operational efficiency on national and international routes.

Air Commodore Nur Khan said that the Boeing 720B is similar to the 707, but, being fitted with the new turbo-engines, it is quieter, needs shorter runways and has better operating economics.

The addition of the new aircraft will enable PIA to run an all-jet service between East and West Pakistan and also to increase
the frequency of its services on international routes.

Air Commodore Khan disclosed that 80 per cent of the total cost of purchasing the 720Bs would be met by a loan from the Export-Import Bank of Washington.