PIA gave 258,000 ticket free, 116,000 tickets at 95% discount

ISLAMABAD: A report of an audit has revealed that the national exchequer lost Rs 9.43 billion in six years because of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) giving away free and discounted tickets.

From 2011 to 2016, over 258,000 tickets were given away free of cost, and another 116,000 tickets were sold at 95 percent discounts.

The report also pointed out that most of these concessions were awarded to individuals with no official connection to the airline.

The Pakistan Auditor General noted that the discounts were issued without permission from the PIA chairman or managing director.

No meeting was called despite repeated reminders to discuss the matter until 2023. The audit called for the free ticket policy to be discontinued forthwith.

Policy Changes and Current Status

The practice was stopped in 2018 following the Supreme Court order against the free distribution of tickets, a PIA spokesperson said. The tickets had been distributed earlier under an agent incentive program to stimulate sales.

The spokesperson further added that the observations of the audit are nine years old and that their reviews by the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) are within the purview of the concerned ministry. The spokesperson intimated that perhaps the renewed interest in the audit is the result of pressure being mounted by some interest groups.