Dubai: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has stopped its service between Dubai and Peshawar, upsetting many Pakistani expats.
They said fares on rival airlines have risen.
In addition, state-owned PIA is the only airline that does not charge for repatriating bodies to Pakistan from the UAE.
The suspension means Pakistanis repatriating bodies to the Pakistani city of Peshawar now must pay thousands of dirhams on other airlines.
A senior PIA manager said the service was closed seven to 10 days ago following sustained losses on the sector.
Syed Ishaq Hussain — regional manager for UAE, CIS, Turkey and Africa — said it is possible the service may restart after deliberations by the Pakistan government.
“A few other sectors are also running at a loss, I was told by a PIA official who is high up in management. Why close Dubai-Peshawar and not others?” said Qayyum Shah, a Dubai-based logistics manager and president of Pakhtun Welfare Organisation in UAE.
“Every day PIA was repatriating two or three bodies to Peshawar without charging for it. They didn’t even charge for the passenger accompanying the body. Everyone appreciated that very much.
“But how will poor people send their deceased loved ones home for a burial now? It’ll be added distress to them.”
It costs roughly Dh8,000 to repatriate a body to Pakistan, according to a number of Pakistanis familiar with the arrangements.
Last week several Pakistanis from the Pashtun community, who are the majority community in Peshawar, met Pakistan diplomats in Abu Dhabi to discuss the closure.
There are an estimated 700,000 Pashtuns in the UAE.
“I think some people’s businesses will be affected by this. Their routine schedules and meetings will have to change because different airlines have different schedules. Of course, they will now be paying more for the trip as well,” said Salman Wisal, a UAE-based Pakistani businessman.
According to travellers, average fares for a one-way trip to Peshawar on other airlines have jumped from roughly Dh700 to more than Dh1,100.
That is significantly higher than PIA’s recent fares before the suspension — which ranged between Dh490 and Dh990 approximately.
Hussain acknowledges the Pashtun community was concerned, adding deliberations have been set in motion to address grievances.
“We met with some people and discussed their concerns. We’ve also spoken to the [PIA] head office. The Pakistan government had asked for feedback from the PIA, which we have sent to them. I’m hopeful the government will have instructions soon,” Hussain said.
The sector was not economically viable as only two weekly flights were operating before the suspension, he added. PIA had to cut its weekly flights after “rehabilitation” works at Dubai International Airport.
Moreover, flights to Peshawar had to go to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad as the engineering and technical facilities for routine work on airplanes were not based in Peshawar. Flights had to return to Peshawar and then pick up Dubai-bound passengers.
“All of these factors were impacting the cost, which was running higher than the revenue for the sector. But as a national carrier, we should be there for Pakistanis. We were there to assist when they lost someone and needed to repatriate the body. This was a big service.
“We’ve sent papers to the PIA headquarters. They’re in touch with the aviation and financial authorities… If there was a way to absorb costs to some extent, and support and guidance from the government, I think we could come back.”
However, Hussain said any resumption of service should be “full force – three or four flights a week. We used to have an 80 per cent passenger load. In my view, two flights do not work on this sector under the present conditions.
“Other airlines will move in if we are not there and then it’s hard to get back in… Still, this is not a complicated issue. I am hopeful there will soon be an answer from the Pakistan government.”
