RAWALPINDI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Ryanair have signed an agreement under which the former will provide its Boeing-777 aircraft to the latter to operate cargo flights between Urumqi and Pakistan.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said on Saturday that PIA has cut down its flight operations because of travel restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving many of its aircraft idle.

The PIA has therefore converted its Boeing-777 passenger aircraft into a cargo plane and leased it to Ryanair.

Mr Hafeez said the aircraft has the capacity to carry 52 tons of cargo; the plane will fly this route for four consecutive months.

Pakistan will export dried fruit, including pine nuts, to China using this aircraft, he said.

He added that the PIA is entering into strategic partnerships like other airlines in the crisis-hit aviation industry.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2020