KARACHI, Sept 23: Having got some of its aircraft repaired, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will introduce more flights to its international and domestic routes in the next couple of weeks, says its chief Captain Junaid Yunus.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, he said new flights would include one each to Toronto, Manchester, Birmingham, Muscat and Kathmandu, four to Dubai, three to Abu Dhabi and two each to Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka routes. There will be nine additional domestic flights – four between Karachi and Islamabad, three between Lahore and Islamabad and two between Quetta and Islamabad.

Mr Yunus said availability of the aircraft had been improved following release of funds by the government that helped the PIA get some of its grounded aircraft repaired.

He said PIA would purchase 10 narrow body aircraft next year which would further improve its fleet and revenue generation.

The PIA chief said if the size of fleet ranged between 38 and 40, the airline could become self-sustainable in a year or so.

Mr Yunus said the current year was difficult for the airline as the passport crisis and restrictions by the Saudi Arabian government during the Umra season had affected its revenue generation.

He agreed to the suggestion that PIA’s employee-to-aircraft ratio was the highest as compared to other airlines, but added that no retrenchment was being planned.