PIA all set to induct Boeing 777 into operational service

ISLAMABAD: The struggling Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is all set to reactivate a Boeing 777 to its operational service.

According to a PIA spokesperson, the national flag carrier is reactivating aircraft that were in long-term storage and returning them to operational service.

Once the Boeing 777 is reactivated, the PIA’s operational fleet will reach eight aircraft.

The PIA spokesperson said after the European Aviation Safety Agency lifted the ban on the national flag carrier, PIA plans to expand its network to Europe and the UK. 

The announcement come after the PIA inducted its 11th Airbus A320, registered as AP-302, into its operational fleet last week. The aircraft joined the lineup with newly refurbished engines, fresh paint, and a revamped cabin. 

“With network expansion and possible resumption of flights to Europe and other regions, the number of A320 aircraft is expected to reach 12, and that of ATR aircraft to two. These fleet upgrades align with PIA’s aggressive operating plan for 2025,” the spokesperson said.

“The aims to expand its network by introducing new routes offering direct and cost-effective travel options for expatriate Pakistanis. The PIA’s on-time departure exceeds 90 per cent, the highest in the country,” the spokesperson said. 

The PIA will resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier.

PIA’s authorisation to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.

“We have got approval for the first flight’s schedule we had filed,” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan told Reauters earlier, adding that the airline would be opening bookings on Dec. 9 for its planned Jan. 10 flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Britain suspended PIA’s permission to operate in the region after Pakistan began probing a scandal over the validity of pilots’ licences in the wake of a plane crash that killed 97 people.

PIA will soon approach Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) for permission to resume routes to the UK, Khan said.

Once cleared by the DfT, London, Manchester and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations, he added.

The ban cost the loss-making airline Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually in revenue.

PIA has 23 per cent of Pakistan’s domestic aviation market, but its 34-plane fleet cannot compete with Middle Eastern carriers which have 60 per cent, due to a lack of direct flights, despite having agreements with 87 countries and key landing slots.

Pakistan’s attempt to privatise PIA fell flat when it received only a single offer, well below its asking price.

The loss-making national carrier has a 23 per cent stake in Pakistan’s domestic aviation market, but a lack of direct flights means its 34-plane fleet cannot compete with Middle Eastern carriers that hold a 60 per cent market share.

Earlier, the Supreme Court withdrew its order to stop privatisation of PIA. The decision came while the court disposed of the case of the national carrier’s privatisation.

Pakistan is once again looking to sell Pakistan International Airlines after a failed auction attempt earlier last month.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, as part of a $7 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund, is working to restructure or sell off loss-making state entities including the PIA to reduce the financial burden on the national kitty.