PIA-APTA talks fail, dispute to begin in court again

The News 21 Sept 2013 LONDON: Talks between the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and All Pakistan Travel Agents (APTA-UK) have collapsed after the two sides failed to agree on proposals to end their long-running court action. A high level delegation of the PIA had flown from Pakistan to hold talks with the APTA-UK members but now the travel agents have announced that they will apply for the next level of action against Pakistan’s international airline in the UK courts. The PIA delegation from Pakistan included top officials Tahir Niaz, Nayyar Hayat, Syed Rehan Ahmed and Khurram Mushtaq. The APTA-UK was represented by Syed Riaz Hussain Shah, Chaudhry Mahboob Ahmed, Shahid Bhatti and Malik Anwar. Sources said that the PIA delegation told the APTA members that they can be paid the due money in two years as the national airline didn’t have finances to pay at this stage but that proposal was rejected by the travel agents. The London High Court has issued judgements against the PIA. The APTA wants the PIA to pay the claimable commission - 2% and 9% fuel surcharge now owed to the travel agents - in respect of this Judgment recently delivered in the London High Court. In 1974, APTA was established as a private association with the support of PIA and it was orally agreed that the PIA would pay a customary commission of 9% on all its ticket sales. It was further agreed that the PIA would pay a further commission of 2% over and above any other commission(s) and incentives as an Over Riding Commission (ORC) to all those APTA members who would secure PIA ticket sales to the value of £250,000 or more per annum. A few years ago the dispute between the two started when new rules were introduced by the PIA and the matter was taken to the court. Mehboob Ahmed, the chief executive of APTA, speaking to The News alleged that the PIA delegation didn’t show seriousness. “They didn’t come to London aiming to resolve the dispute. They were supposed to hold meetings with us for four days but they spent one day, resting ,another day shopping, on the third day they came late by two hours and left in hurry and on the next day they spent preparing to leave on the following day. We were told the delegation from Pakistan will have full powers but they said the decision rests with the managing director PIA. We have no choice but to go the courts again and seek justice.”