PIA Bosses Fly to Europe Hunting Jets for London Push

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines has sent its chief executive and a board member to Europe to negotiate for aircraft. The airline needs more planes before it nearly doubles its London schedule later this month. Chief Executive Muhammad Amir Hayat and board member Fazal Sheikh are meeting plane makers and leasing firms, the report said. Both wet and dry leases are on the table. New aircraft straight from the factory can take years to arrive, and PIA can't wait that long. Details remain thin. PIA hasn't named the companies, the number of jets it wants or the rates it might pay.

From Oct. 27, PIA flies to London seven times a week, up from four. Five of those flights leave from Islamabad and two from Lahore, so there's now a Pakistan-London service every day. That expansion needs aircraft the airline does not yet have in sufficient numbers.

Arif Habib, who chairs the consortium that bought PIA, said in April that the airline then had 30 aircraft but only 18 in operation, with five or six awaiting repair. He set a long-term target of 60 aircraft. The new owners have also said PIA needs 25 to 30 aircraft to operate sustainably, according to Arab News.

PIA aircraft leasing: five jets already approved

PIA's board in September approved leasing five more aircraft, mainly to strengthen its UK and European network. Two of those jets come from Norse Atlantic Airways on a six-month wet lease, Focus Pakistan reported. The other three would arrive on dry leases.

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The difference matters. Under a typical wet lease, the lessor provides the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, and the airline can start flying within weeks. A dry lease hands over the aircraft and nothing else. PIA would then have to staff and support it on its own.

One detail in the Norse deal remains unresolved. Pakistani reports have described the two wet-leased jets as Boeing 777s, but Norse operates Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Norwegian aviation outlet Hangar.no flagged the discrepancy and said Norse had not publicly confirmed a final agreement with PIA. Until either side announces the deal, the aircraft type remains unconfirmed.

The leasing push runs alongside a bigger bet on new aircraft. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met Boeing Global President Brendan Nelson in New York on Sept. 23. Boeing agreed to send PIA a revised proposal for new aircraft, the Finance Ministry said.

The two sides discussed earlier delivery slots, interim leases, engines, spare parts, maintenance, and returning grounded PIA aircraft to service. Aurangzeb also sought support from the US Export-Import Bank for financing.

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The talks build on a July meeting in Washington. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and members of PIA's new management discussed a possible order for 16 Boeing aircraft, and both sides pledged to work towards finalising a deal "at the earliest opportunity". No contract has followed so far.'

Hiring ahead of the planes

PIA has also stepped up cabin crew recruitment to prepare for a larger fleet and network. The new owners committed Rs125 billion in fresh equity to the airline as part of the privatisation, earmarked partly for fleet expansion. The European trip marks the latest attempt to turn that money into aircraft.

So far it's talk, not contracts. PIA needs planes fast enough to fill the new London slots. It also needs a fleet that lasts, one that can retire old jets and end the disruptions that keep upsetting its schedule. Signed deals and firm delivery dates will tell the real story.