PIA operating half-empty flights to India aftermath Mumbai attack

Karachi, May 21 (ANI): With India tightening its visa norms specially for Pakistan citizens after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has incurred heavy operational loss, as it is running half-empty flights to India.

The PIA presently operates six flights a week to India with only 45-52 percent utilization of capacity which was over 70 percent before 26/11.

Despite both the countries vowing to help each other in the Mumbai terror attack probe, there still seems to be a massive trust deficit between the neighboring countries, which is evident from New Delhi's decision to tighten its visa policy for Pakistan civilians.

"Before the Mumbai attacks, PIA was operating 10 flights a week to India, but after the 26/11 attacks, PIA is operating six flights a week to Mumbai and New Delhi. Due to strict visa policy adapted by the Indian government after the Mumbai attacks, the load factor on these flights have been hit significantly," The Nation quoted a PIA official, as saying.

"The 4 flights on Karachi-Mumbai route that had recorded 74 per cent load factor before November 2008, were now experiencing only 47 per cent seats utilization," he added. (ANI)