The insiders attribute the low load factor to the hostile environment between the two neighbours in the past few years, which has resulted in fewer travellers being granted visas
The average load factor for Pakistan International Airline's (PIA) Mumbai-Karachi flights were close to 30% in the past few months, which forced the airline management to pull off from the sector.
This is in contrast to the over 74% load factor which the flights on this sector recorded before the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. After the attack, the figures began dwindling and hovering around 45%. An average load factor of over 80% is considered satisfactory as per the global aviation standard.
This is not the first time PIA has scaled down its operations In India. Earlier in 2013, PIA had reduced the India flights by 60% due to shortage of traffic and aircraft.
The insiders attribute the low load factor to the hostile environment between the two neighbours in the past few years, which has resulted in fewer travellers being granted visas.
The recent move to cancel the flights on Mumbai-Karachi sector comes amid deepening strain in Indo-Pak ties following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Jammu and Kashmir though PIA administration has maintained that its decision to suspend the Mumbai-Karachi flights has been taken purely on economic terms. "The reasons behind the move are purely commercial," PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani said.
The political crests and troughs dynamics between the two countries has not been good for the finances of the national carriers of the two countries.
PIA is the only airline operating direct flights between the two countries as India's national carrier Air India suspended its services from Pakistan several years ago due to lack of passengers.
"The visa issue has definitely affected the load factor. How can one expect the airline to fly with such a dismally low number of passengers in each of its single flight," said a senior official from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). PIA, which operated two flights a week between the commercial capitals of Karachi and Mumbai, plied Airbus A320-200 aircraft from CSIA with a total seat capacity of 158, including 8 in business class.
As per the reports, the four flights on Karachi-Mumbai route before the 2008 terror attack recorded 74% load factor which came to down to 47% seat utilisation after that. Similarly, 72% seat utilisation on the Karachi to Delhi route slumped to 53%. Lahore- Delhi flights, the load factor has decreased from 57% earlier to 42% now.
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