Pakistan: PIA service hit as five aircraft with no engines grounded

INTERNATIONAL DESK: light services of the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) were disrupted after five three Boing 777 aircraft were grounded as they had no engines, ARY News reported on Saturday, adding that the fleet included two permanently grounded aircraft.

According to the ARY News, a total total of 7 aircraft out of 12 are currently operational while another is lying dysfunctional in Jeddah. The national airline needs $60 million for the maintenance of its aircraft.

Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul haq Kakar has asked his minister for Privatisation, Fawad Hasan Fawad, to fast-track the privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), ARY News reported.

Chairing a meeting to review the process of PIA’s privatisation in Islamabad, he urged the stakeholders concerned to expedite the process keeping in view raising standards of the national flag carrier as per international standards.

Kakar directed all relevant stakeholders to find an immediate solution to the matters related to this privatisation.
During the meeting, the acting PM was briefed on the progress of the privatisation process of PIA. He also welcomed Fawad Hasan Fawad to his team.

Earlier, amid a major financial crisis, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cancelled several domestic and international flights, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The flights scheduled to take off from/to the Karachi airport were cancelled after the national airline failed to pay Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for fuel supply.

The Pakistan-based media outlet reported that the cancelled flights include Karachi-Turbat, Karachi-Gwadar, Karachi-Quetta, Karachi-Sukkur and Karachi-Multan.

Earlier, the PIA grounded five out of its 13 leased aircraft with further prospect of grounding four additional planes due to the pending dues.

However, the PIA asked for an emergency bailout of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 22.9 billion which was then rejected by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

Moreover, the ECC also rejected the request made by PIA for deferment of the payments of Rs 1.3 billion per month, which the national carrier pays to FBR against FED and Rs 0.7 billion per month which PIA pays against the rising charges, Geo News reported.

Further, the PIA also warned that Boeing and Airbus might suspend the supply of spare parts by mid-September.

In July the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) froze the national carrier’s account on the basis of non-payment of more than Rs 2 billion in taxes, according to ARY News.

In January last year, the FBR froze 53 bank accounts of the PIA after it was found to have defaulted to taxes worth PKR 26 billion.
However, those bank accounts were restored after PIA assured them of early clearance of the taxes. (ANI)