Airblue in Pakistan to replace regular meals on flights with cheap sandwiches and shift sales to internet mode in a bid to cut soaring fuel cost. Stopping full meals, which cost Rs500 per head, and introduction of Rs100 sandwich dish will help the private airline save around Rs100 million a month, said Syed Nasir Ali, Airblue Managing Director.“Easiest thing to do is to increase fares and punish passengers,” he said about possible ways to overcome fuel-related cost. “But ultimately that will be negative for the whole industry. That will shrink market.”
The global aviation industry is going through tumultuous times as oil soars past $138 per barrel, forcing airlines to rationalise routes, stop use of fuel-guzzling aircraft and add different charges to air tickets.
This is a global phenomenon. According to IATA, airlines will record a loss of $2.5 billion against earlier projections of a profit of $6bn.