PIA to resume operations during H2 2021

State-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) expects to return to full operations by the second half (Jul-Dec) of 2021. Most of PIA’s aircraft were grounded in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak in the country in February 2020. PIA has been negotiating with financial institutions for rescheduling its loans and has already returned some leased aircraft and slashed its workforce by 1,900-2,000 employees (or 14%) by offering them voluntary separation scheme (VSS). “Passenger numbers are expected to grow to 2.8 billion in 2021,” said PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Marshal Arshad Malik in the Annual Report 2020. He expects the number of