RAWALPINDI: The second Airbus A320, the Pakistan International Airlines has acquired on a six-year dry lease, touched down the Islamabad International Airport on Saturday morning.

A PIA spokesman said the aircraft landed at the airport via Egypt from the French city of Perpignan.

The spokesman said that the national airline had also acquired a dry lease aircraft three weeks ago, which is now part of the PIA fleet.

The second Airbus A320 will formally join the PIA fleet in the next few days.

It will be the third aircraft to become part of the PIA fleet under the present government, he said.

With the addition of this aircraft, the total number of Airbus A320 aircraft in the PIA fleet now stands at eleven. With the arrival of this Airbus A320, the national flag carrier’s fleet will increase to 29 aircraft of different brands. According to the business plan, more aircraft will be part of the PIA fleet.

PIA Chief Executive Officer Arshad Malik, specially thanked the Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan and the Ministry of Finance for their cooperation in procuring the aircraft.

Acquisition of new and improved aircraft will significantly increase PIA product, Air Marshal Arshad Malik said.

PIA spokesman had said that the two aircraft acquired on dry lease from the Bank of Utah were manufactured in 2017 with passenger capacity of 170 seats. The PIA has planned to upgrade its fleet with new versions of fuel-efficient latest technology aircraft.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2021