‘PIA flew over 1,100 near-empty flights between 2021 and 2023’

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) operated 1,118 domestic and international flights from Islamabad between 2021 and 2023 with only one or two passengers on board, according to a report by the Auditor General for Pakistan (AGP).

The AGP’s review of PIACL’s Islamabad station revealed that 816 flights carried a single passenger, while 302 flights had only two passengers each. These figures were verified from records provided by the airline’s own management, the audit report said.

The audit attributed the losses to inefficient planning and operational mismanagement. Instead of cancelling these flights and refunding ticket amounts, the airline continued to operate them — a decision auditors deemed “unjustified.”

The report also noted that a significant number of other flights were flown with only three to 50 passengers per flight. These too were allowed to depart without valid justification, further adding to operational losses.

The findings come at a time when PIACL is struggling with billions in liabilities and facing privatisation.

Recently, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly that the airline had incurred a loss of Rs4.1 billion due to the closure of Pakistan’s airspace from April 24 to June 30, 2025, amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

Sources familiar with the audit told HUM News English that the decision to operate near-empty flights was not driven by logistical necessity but by “management indecision and operational laxity.” In many cases, they said, the costs of fuel, crew and other expenditures far outweighed revenue from ticket sales.

The report warned that the practice not only deepened financial losses but also damaged the credibility of the airline among international aviation circles.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that the audit para in question was a draft prepared in relation to PIA’s chartered flights.

“Most of these flights were operated during the COVID-19 pandemic to repatriate Pakistanis stranded abroad. As is standard with chartered operations, one leg of the journey is often flown empty; however, the cost is covered through one-way passenger fares. The audit observations and figures were based on a misunderstanding. During discussions with the audit authorities, this draft (non-final) para was subsequently dropped,” he said.

Earlier, the Privatisation Commission told a Senate panel that the new buyer of PIA will be required to invest Rs70 billion over a five-year period as part of the national carrier’s revised privatisation plan.