ISLAMABAD, June 11: The Ex-Im Bank of the United States has decided to assess the capability of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to manage the Boeing 777s purchased through its guarantees.

A delegation of the bank will begin inspections on Tuesday which will conclude in about 13 days. The delegation will be helped by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) auditors.

Ex-Im Bank, the official US export credit agency, had in 2003 provided long-term financing to support the sale of large Boeing 777 commercial aircraft and General Electric (GE) spare engines to the national flag carrier. A source said the bank’s support was critical in placing orders for the long-range, twin-aisle aircraft.

However, some recent developments, including the European Union ban on most of PIA aircraft and a few ground handling incidents, raised concerns among the lenders about the airline’s capacity to manage the Boeing 777 jets.

The airline sources fear that inspections would lead to another embarrassment after the EU restrictions. The time of arrival of the inspectors isn’t ideal either. It comes at a time when one of the Boeing 777s (AP-BGZ) would be undergoing C-checks, which could fully expose flaws in maintenance procedures.