News Desk |
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to restore its old slogan ‘Great People to Fly With’ and discontinue its new blue logo.
A directive issued by PIA Chief Executive Officer and chairman Air Marshal Arshad Malik informed all concerned that it has been approved that the airline’s new blue logo has been discontinued from stationery products, billboards, documents, and all other places.
It said that the new blue logo has been discontinued and the old logo (Pakistan prominent) and the slogan ‘Great People to Fly With’ have been adopted and it will be reproduced on all documents and platforms.
In response to CJ’s question pertaining to the cost of the said endeavor, MD PIA had stated that it would cost Rs2.7 million per plane to change the logo.
PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar confirmed that the national flag carrier’s old logo has been restored as the public acceptance of Markhor, the country’s national animal, was not up to the mark as well as the fact that the Supreme Court had also barred the PIA from replacing the Pakistan flag on the tails of its aircraft. He said that the picture of Markhor had also been removed from one aircraft after the SC orders.
In May last year, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had ordered the PIA management to stop replacing the national flag on the tail of its aircraft with a picture of Markhor.
When Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar inquired what was replacing the Pakistani flag on the planes’ tails, then PIA Managing Director Musharraf Rasool Cyan had replied that the new logo would be of the country’s national animal—Markhor.
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The court had taken up the case on an application filed in the SC Human Rights Cell in response to which CJP Nisar ordered to halt the makeover of PIA aircraft until a report was submitted on the matter.
He had also ordered MD Cyan to present a report regarding the award of contract for pasting stickers of the Markhor on the planes. In response to CJ’s question pertaining to the cost of the said endeavor, MD PIA had stated that it would cost Rs2.7 million per plane to change the logo.
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However, Justice Nisar observed that the cost for each plane would be Rs3.4 million and sought a report detailing tender and contractor information.