ISLAMABAD: The much-awaited European flight operation is under threat, as nearly half of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) fleet is grounded due to the alleged negligence and inefficiency of its engineering department.
Out of the 34 aircraft in PIA’s fleet, 17 are currently grounded including seven out of 12 Boeing 777s, seven out of 17 Airbus A320s, and three out of five ATR planes.
Sources reveal that the grounded planes are out of service primarily due to the unavailability of critical components such as engines, landing gears, and auxiliary power units (APUs).
Due to these operational setbacks, the national carrier is reportedly incurring losses amounting to millions of dollars. Insiders claim that several parts have been removed from the grounded planes and are being used in other planes.
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Such a situation has raised concerns over the recently resumed Paris operations, which could face disruption due to the lack of operational Boeing 777s.
However, a spokesperson for the national carrier has assured that the aircraft designated for Paris flights is ready for operations.
PIA has been under strict scrutiny from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which, while lifting its ban on the airline has warned that planes traveling to Europe would be subjected to rigorous SAFA ramp inspections and monitoring.