Secretary of Travel Agents and Currency Exchange, has expressed concern over International Air Transport Association warning to stop operations, within Pakistan in case of non payments.
Mr Zafar Paracha Secretary of Currency Exchange Association of Pakistan. Expressed concern over the warning of International Air Transport Association IATA to stop its operations in Pakistan in case of failure of payments. While doing this. He has also said that the government should leave all other work & focus on this issue.
IATA on Wednesday warned Pakistan
That foreign airlines may stop their operations in Pakistan if payment delays continue.
According to a statement by Mr Philip Goh IATA vice president for the Asia Pacific region. Pakistan had to pay about $290 million to foreign airlines by January 2023.
The statement more said that Pakistan is 2nd only to Nigeria in terms of payment of such serious amount & in such circumstances international airlines can use their operations in a profitable place.
Travel agents: who book tickets & make other travel arrangements for citizens going abroad from Pakistan. On Thursday expressed fear that not only thousands of people would-be unemployed if world airlines suspended operations in Pakistan even temporarily. Instead, crores of rupees deposited for passenger tickets & other expenses will sink.
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| Islamabad Airport photo AFP |
When contacted Civil Aviation spokesperson Saifullah said that he could not discuss the matter.
He said that the State Bank is aware of the situation & we have also informed the State Bank of our concerns.
Sammad Kandhar: the owner of a travel agency called Delta Air Express also said that during the Corona corona epidemic. when the operations of international airlines were temporarily stopped, millions of people who made tickets & other travel bookings lost millions of rupees for more than a year. were stuck for.
According to Sammad Kandhar: When a person wants to travel to a country. He books flight tickets hotel room bookings, taxis in that country or sightseeing tickets many months in advance.
If IATA suspends the operations of foreign airlines in Pakistan only temporarily. Not permanently then millions of people will lose their scheduled trips & all their advance payments will not be returned till then. when the operations of foreign airlines are not reactivated in Pakistan.
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During the corona epidemic. When the lockdown was imposed all over the world, the operation of foreign airlines was also stopped in Pakistan like other countries. Due to which not only the advance booking funds were trapped but also thousands spread across the country. Millions of people working for travel agents lost their jobs.
Talking about the method of payment to international airlines & hotels for flight tickets, hotels & other bookings purchased by the travel agent. Sammad said that the travel agent makes the booking in dollars on an online system and calculates the rate of the day. Pays in Pakistani Rupees.
Later the same amount has to be paid in dollars to the international airlines. But due to the shortage of dollars these payments are being delayed.
According to Sammad: In recent times some international airlines have increased the ticket rates on the software used by the agents many times over the rates on their websites because the agents are not paying on time & if someone makes a booking through the website. So the airline gets paid immediately.
Mr Ismail Shiraz said the owner of Travel Help Desk, a travel agency. Mor said that Turkish Airlines had closed its service to agents in Pakistan in August last year. While Emirates & Fly dubai had stopped this service a few days ago.
