Sir: Private airlines, which were allowed under the Aviation Policy to offer competitive, affordable and reliable air travel facilities on domestic flights, went on a rampage, hiking fares almost by double to make astronomical, unethical profits while PIA is stranded by striking pilots. This went on for days till the Prime Minister (PM) returned from his foreign trip and took notice of the abuse. What purpose do state regulatory institutions and federal bureaucracy, created to prevent such exploitation, serve if they are to remain inert till the PM intervenes? There exists an aviation division, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and various other state regulatory agencies such as the Competition Commission of Pakistan. One of these private airlines has amongst its owners a federal minster. It seems that it is PIA that is preventing these private airlines from literally lynching clients, instead of them serving as fair competition to offer alternate options to air travellers. As it is, private airlines in violation of the Aviation Policy refuse to operate on socio-economic routes and choose instead to pay miniscule fines, which do not serve as deterrence. Even before private airlines were allowed to operate in Pakistan, there existed competition for PIA on international and regional routes. There have been too many accidents involving these private airlines. Some of them, like Bhoja, have shut down following crashes primarily because their aircrafts were aged, poorly maintained and the CAA had failed to enforce strict regulatory controls to prevent them from cutting corners. It is not only PIA that requires revamping but also these private airlines and the CAA. ALI MALIK Lahore