KARACHI, Jan 31: Pakistan International Airlines has finally decided to dispose of its ageing aircraft, including all of its 11 Fokker-27s, beginning with inviting bids for two of the Fokker.

The Fokker, which has a capacity of 44 passengers, including one pilot and two crew, was inducted in the PIA fleet in 1959.

All the 11 Fokker aircraft in the PIA fleet are still in use and are being operated on different routes from Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad, including flights to Skardu, Chitral, Pasni, Panjgur, Turbat, Quetta, Sukkur, Moenjodaro, Jacobabad, Rahimyar Khan, Multan, Gilgit and Bahawalpur.

All its Fokker aircraft will be grounded and sold by December 2003 and are likely to be replaced with ATR-72 or ATR-42 Bombardier planes to be acquired on dry lease. These aircraft have a seating capacity of 64 and 44 to 48 seats, respectively.

The PIA board of directors, a PIA spokesman said, had approved a plan to replace the Fokker aircraft in its meeting held last August. The decision was influenced also by the fact that the manufacturers had closed down their plant in Holland.

After disposal of the two aircraft, the PIA fleet will be left with nine Fokker inducted in the fleet in 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965 and in 1966. The two for sale were acquired in 1959.