Pakistan

PIA plane stuck in Malaysia ‘will return soon’

Aviation secy tells PAC subcommittee leasing company already paid off

Our Correspondent June 02, 2023

Management of the air carrier is focusing on enhancing training standards and facilities at PIA Training Centre. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:

A subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on Thursday was informed by the Aviation Division that a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane – stopped in Malaysia over a claim of unpaid dues – would be brought back soon.

The meeting of the subcommittee was chaired by its convener, Syed Hussain Tariq.

During the huddle, the audit objections related to the Aviation Division from 2005-06 to 2017-18 were reviewed.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the panel, inquired about the PIA plane stopped at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The aviation secretary informed him that a Boeing 777 aircraft of the PIA had reached Kuala Lumpur.

He added that one of its engines was purchased on lease and they had already paid off the company it was bought from.

The aviation secretary told the subcommittee that the aircraft would be recovered as the PIA lawyers were currently engaged in taking up the matter in a Malaysian court.

The convener inquired when the PIA plane would be returned.

Senator Mushahid said he was leaving for Kuala Lumpur next week.

The aviation secretary assured him that the plane would be retrieved by then.

He added every document proving that the payment had been made was provided to the Malaysian court.

The aircraft’s leasing company approached a court, claiming that the PIA owed it $4.5 million.

However, the PIA disputed this claim, saying that it owned the aircraft.

The national carrier said the leasing company only owned one of the engines and it had already paid $1.8 million for it.

A PIA spokesperson said the claim submitted by the company to seek the impounding order was “incorrect”.

He added that the national carrier had engaged its legal team in Kuala Lumpur to contest the matter in the court.

The spokesperson stated that the passengers of the disputed plane had been accommodated on an alternative aircraft.

He continued that the disputed Boeing 777 would also operate as a normal commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur.

In January 2021, another PIA's Boeing 777 was stopped in Malaysia for about two weeks over a case involving $14 million in unpaid dues. (With input from agencies)

COMMENTS (2)

test | 1 year ago | Reply Since we don t have enough balls and guts to run these state owned entities I think we should sell these state owned entities to China or atleast bring the chinese management and employees to run state owned entities of Pakistan. We will give decent perks plus salary plus stock options plus a better lifestyle for chinese executives and their families in Pakistan and in return we want profitable state owned entities in Pakistan. We will build influential chinese figures in Pakistan by bringing hard working and talented Chinese to the board and executive positions in these state owned entities because I don t want to tolerate a single rupee loss in these state owned entities. The money which our state owned entities are losing is not of anyone s father it is the money of the hardworking poor people who work day and night to feed their families. This money must be spent on the well being of state owned entities and should not be used for salaries to uncompetitive people in these state owned entities. All the management and all the workers in these state owned entities will lose their job and hard working chinese will be given big opportunities. Enough is enough. We must turn these state owned entities into profitable ones by employing chinese executives and chinese employees because they are very very hardworking and innovative people.

Khalid Masood | 1 year ago | Reply Why do you cheat us by posting a pic of a smaller plane instead of Boeing-777

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