UK, Germany ban most PIA planes
(Reuters)

3 March 2007



KARACHI - British and German authorities have banned around three-quarters of Pakistan International Airlines’ ageing fleet from flying to their countries because of safety concerns, a PIA spokesman said on Saturday.


“We have received directives from England and Germany on our planes and after that we have decided to only operate Boeing 777 planes in both the countries,” PIA spokesman Nasir Jamal said.

“The ban on all other planes will be effective from Sunday 2:00 a.m. (2100 GMT Saturday),” he added.

The ban followed a European Union decision to bar all but seven Boeing 777s planes out of the airline’s 42-plane fleet from flying to the 27-country bloc.

The state-run airline was warned last year that most of its planes failed to meet international standards. The EU’s concerns focused on maintenance problems and old aircraft.

The PIA fleet that would be affected includes six Boeing 747-300s, two 747-200s, seven 737-300s, one 727-200, 12 Airbus A310-300s, two A-321s, one A310 and three ATR-50s.

Jamal said a team of senior PIA officials were currently in Brussels to meet the concerns of the EU’s aviation authorities on the airline’s fleet.

But another PIA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said EU officials remained unconvinced by the airline’s efforts to upgrade its ageing fleet.

“It is now almost certain that they have decided to ban most of our fleet in Europe ... England and Germany have already taken a decision and the rest will follow them in a week or so,” the official said.

“They refused to give us extra time and, by March 8 or 9, other EU countries will also impose a ban ... We have indications,” he added.

PIA operates 26 flights a week to Europe. Its most profitable routes were to the Middle East and Britain.

A PIA flight schedule official said the airline was mulling a cut in the number of weekly flights on European routes.

“Boeing 777s will be used to the maximum on the European sector but still I would say we will have to cut at least 15 to 20 percent of our European operations,” he added.

Airline officials said last month that PIA was considering leasing passenger airliners and crew in light of the EU ban.

Last year the EU banned nearly 100 airlines from operating in the bloc, targeting mostly African carriers after a spate of fatal crashes involving European passengers.


http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle...on=subcontinent

PIA needs to be reformed and privatised.

Kick out the relatives of politicians from the airline, privatise it and tell them to compete with rest of the world and be a profitable company.

Other state owned Airlines in world are already in profit and going for A 380, we are trying to feed these stupid relatives of politicians on cost of our name and resources.

PIA should be privatized ASAP, let the market decide its fate.

You can't privitise a national carrier.

And PIA is in a lot better shape than most American carriers.

That would be a bad move, the amount of work needed to build up infastructure for airports in Pakistan, to hold an A380 would cost money and time, many blue chip airlines are converting from 747s to a more economical and less maintenance intensive 777s, and thats what PIA should do.

Or hedge its bets and go in for the new Boeing 787 or Airbus 350, buy now and get earlier slot time.

Its just the beginning........

U can privatise PIA, there is nothing called national carrier... If Govt runs, it becomes National Carrier.
If private firms run it, then it is just another airliner..

How can u claim tht PIA is better than American Carriers when 75% of its fleet is banned..

Did u see any American carriers in the banned list ??

Thats not true, i live in the U.K. and we have 2 premier airliners, Virgin and British Airways, both are not owned by the goverment, ones a 'flag carrier', whereas the other is the 'national carrier'