March 20, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 16, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, March 19: Pakistan International Airline would ground half of its Airbus A-300 aircraft fleet by June, sources in the airline said here on Wednesday.

Subsequently, the national flag carrier would ground all except one of its Fokker planes in July.

The PIA fleet has eight Airbus (A-300) aircraft and nine Fokker planes. The average age of aircraft fleet of any airline is optimally 12-15 years. However, the Fokker planes of PIA are up to 38 years old, and the airbuses are comparatively younger — are up to 20 years old.

The airbus A-300 jets are currently being flown on regional routes, which included domestic and the Middle East destinations.

The Fokker planes are serving domestic routes.

The sources said these planes are being grounded as keeping them operational was becoming unviable due to high cost of maintenance.

The grounded planes would be used to serve the remaining four airworthy airbus A-300 planes.

The PIA plans to replace A-300 planes with Airbus A-310 aircraft, which would be acquired on lease. Fokkers would be replaced by ATR planes.

General Manager PIA, Imran Gardezi, while commenting on the replacement plan said since the present management took office fleet replacement has been an important requirement for it.