KARACHI, March 6: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) will acquire aircraft on wet lease to support its operation in the 27-member European bloc which has been badly hampered after the European Union slapped a ban on all but seven Boeing 777 aircraft for the airline’s failure to meet safety standards.
"We are looking for leasing one or two planes to make our operation smooth in the next 10 days," PIA chairman Tariq Kirmani told a press conference here on Tuesday.
He said the PIA was already using one Airbus A310, which had been acquired on wet lease for Haj operation, and the airline would approach the same company for another aircraft. He said the airline would explore more options to manage its flights operation.
He conceded that PIA's customers would be facing inconvenience as the airline was realigning its routes.
However, he claimed that normal operations would resume after March 28. "We are cutting down flights to the US and Europe from March 7 to 15 and afterwards we will reorganise ourselves," he added.
He regretted the EU decision and said: "The whole thing is muddy, discriminatory and meant to put pressure. Other airlines whose aircraft are older than ours are acceptable. PIA has a better safety record than even certain major European airlines."
He said that a plan for refurbishing B747/A310 aircraft had been prepared and it would be completed by the middle of this year.
AFP adds: The PIA has cancelled 14 flights to Europe over the next three weeks after the European Union imposed a safety ban on most of its fleet, PIA officials said on Tuesday.
Passengers on PIA flights to destinations including London, Manchester and Rome will be accommodated on other services, a senior official said on condition of anonymity.
He said the flights had been cancelled up to March 26 after which the airline might try to lease more planes or take other measures.
It follows the European Union’s decision to allow only the airline’s eight Boeing 777 planes to fly to Europe.
Its other 37 aircraft, mainly older Boeing 747s and Airbus A310s, were put on the blacklist due to safety concerns.
