International Airlines Refused To Planes To PIA

piaLahore: Four International airlines have refused to give their planes to the Pakistan International Airlines on wet lease due to security concerns. The airlines of east Europe and Central Asia had expressed their interest in giving four airlines to PIA in June after release of the tender. But after the attacks on the Karachi airport and Peshawar airport, these airlines have withdrawn their offer.

The wet lease agreement not only includes the airplane, but it also includes the pilots, captain crew, and insurance and maintenance facilities as well. The dry lease on the contrary only includes the aeroplane. PIA was initially offered 180 seater A 320 and 737 planes, which is no longer available to them. Now PIA is having difficulty is securing planes on dry lease as well.

Senior officials of PIA expressed their fears about their future collaboration with any international airlines due to the recent terror attacks. They were engaged in talks with some of the international airlines and were hoping to secure planes on wet lease. They hope to secure two planes on dry lease by September to stabilize operations at the airport.  The PIA officials said to release tenders for ten planes in the coming week for 10 planes on dry lease.

After the terror attacks, 4 international airlines have ceased their flights to Peshawar, while one international airline has ceased to operate in Karachi as well. The flight operations of PIA were affected last year when Turkey and the Czech Republic took their planes back from PIA released on wet lease. The termination of the contract has resulted PIA in restricting international flights to just 26.

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