Friday, Mar 09, 2007
Gulf News
Berlin: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has begun pulling out old aircraft from its European routes and replacing them with new ones, complying with the latest European Union directives that banned its old aircraft from flying to European countries, a top official said.
"Yes, we have begun withdrawing our old aircraft from European sectors and begun replacing them with the new ones, as per the new EU regulations," Zahid Afridi, PIA's general manager for Group Tours and Charters told Gulf News.
The EU has barred most PIA planes from flying to the 27-nation bloc because of safety concerns.
The ban affects 35 of the airline's fleet of 42 aircraft, with just seven Boeing 777s exempt.
The EU said it based its ruling on safety concerns regarding the condition of PIA's ageing fleet of 747s and Airbus 310s.
The action was taken following a huge public outcry after a number of accidents involving the aircraft, one of which resulted in a crash killing 45 people last July.
The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority cleared the airline's fleet for landing in Dubai last Monday.
"As such there isn't anything wrong with our fleet whose average age is 12. The EU's objections were against the ageing A310s and Boeing 747s. However, we are complying with the new directives, he said.
"It is impacting our operations as in some routes we were forced to reduce operations, while maintaining flight schedules in most of the stations.
"However, no other countries have objected in allowing these aircraft to fly. The same aircraft are serving all other destinations successfully and without any problems."
PIA took a large cut in its domestic and Middle Eastern revenues after the Pakistani government forced it to ground its outdated Fokker fleet. The airline is now mulling new orders to replace an ageing fleet, he said.
"PIA is currently looking at replacing the old aircraft with new ones and we might place an order first to replace the Boeing 737s with similar aircraft," he said.
The airline operates 50 flights to Dubai weekly, catering mostly to overseas Pakistanis.
He said his airline will be promoting various destinations from Dubai to attract tourists from the Middle East.
Ban affects 35 of the airways fleet of 42 aircraft
-The EU's objections were against the ageing A310s and Boeing 747s.The airline operates 50 flights to Dubai weekly, catering mostly to overseas Pakistanis.
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
