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FM AMCONSUL KARACHI
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INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0452
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0253
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0296
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1841
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 2694
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4577
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KARACHI 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2019 
TAGS: EAIR ECON ETRD PREL PK
SUBJECT: SINDH - PIA PLANS NEW AIRPLANE PURCHASES BUT CAA 
DOUBTS AIRLINE CAN AFFORD IT 
 
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY ACTING CONSUL GENERAL CATHERINE RODRIGUEZ 
FOR REASONS 1.4 b and d. 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  In a March 24 meeting, Pakistan 
International Airlines (PIA) Managing Director Aijaz Haroon 
told Islamabad Econ Counselor and Consular Officials that his 
airline hopes to purchase new Boeing aircraft and add new 
routes in the coming year.  Haroon also said PIA, aided by 
lower fuel prices, had made a profit in the last quarter and 
expected this trend to continue.  To further reduce costs for 
the airline, PIA is expected to move to a single airline 
fleet, jettison the A-310's in favor of Boeing 737's. 
However, in a separate meeting, Civil Aviation Authority 
(CAA) Deputy Director General Habib said PIA had been 
"hemorrhaging funds," and doubted the airline could afford 
new planes.  Habib was complimentary of Shaheen Airlines, 
which has recently expanded its operations, and categorized 
Air Blue as mismanaged.  End summary. 
 
New Airplanes on the Horizon? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) During a March 24 meeting with Islamabad Econ 
Counselor, PIA Managing Director Aijaz Haroon said Pakistan 
International Airlines (PIA) officials recently met with 
Boeing and Airbus and received attractive offers to purchase 
new airplanes.  Haroon said PIA would like to purchase 27 new 
airplanes to replace its mixed fleet of aging Airbus A-310s 
and Boeing 737s. (Note:  The Airbus aircraft in the PIA fleet 
are leased.  According to Boeing officials, these planes have 
not been successfully integrated into the total fleet and are 
expensive to operate.  Boeing believes that Haroon and PIA 
are willing to go to an all-Boeing fleet, but that 
competition with Airbus will be cut-throat.  End note.) 
 
¶3. (C) Haroon spoke frankly about Pakistan's economy, calling 
the country's problems "serious."  He said PIA had recently 
received 7,000 applications for 200 entry level positions. 
He said while the Government of Pakistan (GOP) would like to 
help PIA, it lacks the necessary resources, and hinted that 
the IMF or international donors might be willing to help, a 
notion that we did not encourage. 
 
PIA Making Money 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Haroon told Econ Counselor that PIA had been 
profitable in the last quarter and would continue to make 
money "as long as oil remained below $60 a barrel."  But he 
admitted that much of the airline's revenue goes to pay back 
loans taken to cover past losses.  Haroon believes PIA is in 
better shape than other airlines in the region.  He said he 
learned at a recent airline conference in India that PIA was 
currently in a better competitive position than Air India, 
Jet Airways, and Indigo Air because, unlike these Indian 
airlines, PIA does not have an excess capacity problem. 
 
Not Afraid of the Competition 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) When Econ Counselor asked Haroon about competition 
from Air Blue, he said PIA has not been hurt, and that Air 
Blue was poorly managed and had expanded too quickly.  He 
pointed out that Air Blue recently reduced its flights to 
Manchester from seven to four times per week.  Haroon said 
when he learned that Air Blue used income from UN charters to 
undercut PIA's fares, PIA went head to head with Air Blue to 
compete for UN business ferrying UN peacekeeping forces. 
 
A Modest Proposal 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Haroon said he made a presentation at the India 
conference calling for increasing the number of tourist visas 
issued by both India and Pakistan in order to promote travel 
between the two countries as a way to grow airline business. 
He admitted his idea was poorly received and was probably 
"premature."  Haroon would also like the two countries to 
share engineering and training facilities.  PIA currently 
sends engines to KLM facilities in Holland for maintenance 
 
KARACHI 00000112  002 OF 002 
 
 
and its pilots go to Dubai and Cairo for periodic training. 
 
Religious Tourism 
----------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Haroon believes religious tourism geared towards 
Muslims and Sikhs visiting holy sites in India and Pakistan 
would help the region's economy and ease tensions.  Haroon 
believes his ideas would work, but require leadership to 
initiate. 
 
New Flights 
----------- 
 
¶8. (C) Haroon said PIA will commence new flights to Frankfurt 
and Barcelona.  He said he saw a business opportunity because 
Barcelona is home to 50,000 Pakistanis, many of whom were 
recently granted legal immigrant status by Spain, and are now 
more likely to travel.  Haroon opined that neither Lufthansa 
nor British Airways (BA) will return to Pakistan this year. 
In fact, PIA has asked for permission to use some of BA's 
slots at Heathrow Airport.  Haroon also said PIA's daily 
flights to London, especially business class seats, are 
completely sold out. 
 
CAA Claims Huge Losses at PIA 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Civil Aviation Authority Deputy Director General Air 
Vice Marshall Sajid Habib presented a different view of PIA 
in a meeting March 25, noting that over the years PIA had 
lost "substantial" sums of money, and that the airline 
currently loses around USD $50 million a month.  Habib called 
PIA a "mismanaged state-run company," claiming that PIA has 
564 employees per aircraft, while the industry standard is 
¶214. 
 
Can PIA Afford New Planes? 
-------------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) When Econ Counselor raised the issue of PIA's plans 
to purchase additional planes, Habib said he doubted PIA 
could afford this.  Habib praised Pakistan,s two private 
airlines, Air Blue (started by a former PIA director) and 
Shaheen, run by a former Pakistan Air Force officer who had 
made a fortune in real estate in Canada, for their efficient, 
cost-conscious operations - again a markedly different 
assessment from Haroon's. 
 
¶11. (C) Comment: Given the GOP's financial situation and 
pressure by the IMF to reduce spending, its ability to 
provide financing to PIA will be minimal.  While Haroon,s 
attitude towards India seemed sincere and forward-looking, he 
admitted that last year's Mumbai attack is still an open 
wound between Pakistan and India. 
RODRIGUEZ