PIA looks for code share agreements

Indunil Hewage

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is looking at possibilities to have code share and space agreements with SriLankan Airlines in the future.

PIA Sri Lanka Country Manager Aqueel Siddiqui said due to the political uncertainty in Pakistan, they have not been able to have an immediate dialogue with Sri Lankan aviation officials on the present situation. "However, we are optimistic that there will be more understanding and mutual co-operation between Sri Lankan aviation officials and PIA in the future," he said.

The aviation industry in Sri Lanka is booming with the arrival of more international and budget airlines with the dawn of peace and the demand for the air passengers and cargo volumes are on the rise owing to present scenario.

The recent tsunami in Japan and the political and social uncertainty in some Middle-East countries have impacted slightly on the aviation and tourism industry and we hope that it will be supplemented with the arrival of more Chinese and Indian tourists to Sri Lanka," Siddiqui said.

PIA is also committed to promote religious and education tourism between Sri Lanka and Pakistan and will be engaging in increasing routes profitability and frequencies globally in the years to come.