Difficulties have increased for air travelers from Pakistan.
While fears of flight operations being affected due to non-payment of foreign airlines due to lack of dollars have increased, the problem has also increased for travel agents who provide travel facilities.
According to the Travel Agents Association, Pakistan owes $225 million to foreign airlines for tickets that are not being paid, due to which airlines are now preferring to sell tickets online instead of agents.
Executive Committee Member of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan Mohammad Nadeem Sharif while talking to Urdu News said that now most of the foreign airlines are selling tickets through the portal.
Tickets purchased through the portal are paid directly to the airlines. So they are preferring to sell tickets on the portal.
He said that not everyone can buy tickets from the portal. Because the majority of those who go abroad for employment from Pakistan belong to the labor class and are not very familiar with the online system. Also, not everyone has a credit card and they are facing difficulties.
According to Mohammad Nadeem, payments have not been made to foreign airlines in the last seven months. According to the fixed formula, travel agents are transferring money in 15 days, but this money is not being sent from Pakistan to foreign countries, the main reason is said to be the lack of dollars in Pakistan.
"Pakistan owes 225 million dollars to foreign airlines, which is not being paid. Due to non-payment of money, the sale of tickets through agents from Pakistan has decreased by 25 to 30 percent."
However, the spokesperson of the State Bank of Pakistan while talking to Urdu News said that a few months ago there was a delay in external payments, and not only airlines but other sectors were also facing the same difficulties. At that time, payments were not being made to various airlines, but the central bank has given a policy that private banks can make payments in foreign countries on their own account.
"After this decision, it will not be correct to say that money is not being paid by the central bank."
On the question of payment of 225 million dollars, he said that he did not know about any particular case, the central bank had issued the same instructions for all sectors.
What is the reason for the expensive tickets?
Mohammad Nadeem Sharif said that Pakistan is not paying money to foreign airlines due to a shortage of dollars. Because of this now the people traveling from Pakistan to foreign countries not only have to buy tickets at expensive prices but also the difference in money between agents and online ticket sales is increasing.
This issue is not only a problem for those working in foreign countries, but those traveling for Hajj and Umrah are also forced to buy expensive tickets at this time. Due to the high cost of tickets, now those traveling to holy places are also facing difficulties.
He said that the packages are becoming expensive only because of the increase in air travel fares. This time the private Hajj package that has come out is almost twice as compared to last year. What will people do in such a situation?
The decline in the arrival of overseas Pakistanis
The executive committee member of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan said that overseas Pakistanis have also limited the number of annual trips with their families. Because the rents are so high that their budget is not being made.
Apart from this, vacationers are getting expensive return tickets. Along with the increase in the fares of the airlines, the taxes imposed on air travelers in Pakistan are also very high.
He said that the high cost of air tickets from Pakistan is a matter of concern for Pakistanis living abroad. Expatriates plan their travels with a certain income and ex-pats try to save as much as possible but face problems due to expensive tickets. Is.
The Travel Agents Association has demanded the government pay the bills of the airlines of friendly countries and discuss the issue with them so that travelers from Pakistan can get relief. If the situation is not addressed on an urgent basis, the work of travel agents from the country will end completely.
On the other hand, the spokesperson of Civil Aviation says that the matter of payment and transfer of money does not come under their jurisdiction. Whatever the government's external payments policy is between the travel agents and the central bank, civil aviation has no role to play in this matter.