Fleet extended: PIA to acquire five new planes in December

The flag carrier’s board of directors approves the purchase of ATR-72 aircraft

LAHORE:

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will purchase five new aircraft for its domestic flights and induct the planes into its fleet within a couple of months, its chairman Muhammad Ali Gardezi announced on Saturday.

The air carrier’s chairman made the announcement after attending a meeting of the PIA’s board of directors (BoD), which approved the purchase.

“The BoD has approved the purchase of five ATR-72 aircraft, which will be delivered by December. With the induction of these new planes, the number of ATR planes with a seating capacity of 62 to 66 people will rise to 11,” he said.

Gardezi said the induction of new planes would help in reducing losses up to 44% within the first half of current year. “The management is planning to add 10 more A320s on a six-year dry lease and these aircraft are expected to join the PIA’s fleet between January and March 2015,” he said.

By next year, the airline will have 11 ATRs, 13 A320s and nine 777s, according to the PIA chairman – who is also the aviation division’s federal secretary.  “Also, we have five A310 aircraft in flying condition and if finances permit these A310s would be replaced with the latest version of A330s,” Gardezi said.

He said efforts were being made to improve the air carrier’s finances and the airline management during the first six months of current calendar year had managed to slash PIA losses by Rs10 billion (44%) when compared with losses in the corresponding period last year. “The losses for the first six months stand at Rs8 billion while we have gained an operational profit of Rs338 million so far,” he added.

Describing the cost cutting measures, he said the management had reduced 200 foreign posts. He said the reduction would continue gradually and all foreign posts, where PIA’s flights were low, would be abolished and sale agents would be given responsibility.

“The PIA management has closed down all loss making routes, including Amsterdam and Frankfurt, which were causing a loss of Rs461 million to the airline,” he added.

The chairman said the airline had successfully managed to conclude its pre-Hajj flights and now it was in the process of post-Hajj flights. Gardezi said they had opened aviation and engineering training centre in Lahore and a similar centre would opened in Rawalpindi next month. “We also intend to open such centres in Peshawar and Quetta in the near future to produce good engineers in organisation,” he said.

Pilot’s protest cause delay in flights

Pilots of PK-711 refused to fly from Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore in protest against non-clearance of outstanding arrears by the management. The flight was scheduled to leave for New York via Manchester at 6.15 am on Saturday.

Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (Palpa) had demanded that the PIA management clear all outstanding allowances amounting to Rs80 million as early as possible. The management, however, rejected the demand and on Saturday pilots who were to fly PK-711 refused to perform their duties.

PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said the duty pilot had reported sick to the management before the flight schedule. “The management was facing shortage of pilots but now the issue has been resolved amicably and flight will leave for New York at 7.30 pm,” he said.

He said Palpa had demanded payment of all arrears of six months in one installment whereas the management had offered to pay them in three installments in three weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2014.