PIA to Return ATR 72 Aircraft to Leasing Company

[Abbas Ali]

PIA is going to return ATR 72-500 aircraft to the leasing company.



In year 2015, a total of five dry leased ATR 72-500 aircraft registrations AP-BKV, AP-BKW, AP-BKX, AP-BKY and AP-BKY joined PIA fleet.



The aircraft were acquired on dry lease for up to eight years under a bids invitation issued in year 2014.



Induction of ATR 72-500 was criticized for a variety of reasons including aircraft's inability to perform flights to/from mountainous areas of Pakistan on regular basis.

On November 24, 2018, PIA ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKW was damaged beyond repairs in ground collision with grounded Shaheen Air Boeing 737-400 registration AP-BJU at Karachi Airport.



PIA bids invitation in May 16, 2020, newspaper sought complete overhaul of landing gear shipset installed on ATR 72-500 aircraft registrations:

AP-BKV
AP-BKX
AP-BKY
AP-BKZ

AP-BKV landing gear overhaul due on April 11, 2021.
AP-BKX landing gear overhaul due on August 16, 2021.
AP-BKY landing gear overhaul due on November 10, 2020.
AP-BKZ landing gear overhaul due on September 30, 2020.



Currently all four ATR 72-500 in PIA fleet are inactive:

AP-BKV
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkv

AP-BKX
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkx

AP-BKY
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bky

AP-BKZ
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ap-bkz

Abbas

[GEnx]

So there will be only 3 ATRs left in the fleet. Already PIA has a bad reputation with so many hull-losses in ATR fleet. Wonder if they have plans for adding more ATR 42s in future. PIA's ATR fleet once was standing at 11 at its peak.

[Abbas Ali]

December 11, PIA ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKY Pakistan to South Africa ferry flight PK6721 route:

Karachi Jinnah International Airport (Pakistan) -> Muscat International Airport (Oman) -> Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (Saudi Arabia) -> Juba Airport (South Sudan) -> Lubumbashi International Airport (Democratic Republic Of The Congo) -> Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (South Africa).


PIA ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKY photographed at Dera Ghazi Khan Airport by First Officer Uzair Ansari in 2016.

Abbas

[inducedrag]

Departure is on 12th Dec

[Abbas Ali]

^ thank you for correction.

Abbas

[ammad]

So there will be only 3 ATRs left in the fleet. Already PIA has a bad reputation with so many hull-losses in ATR fleet. Wonder if they have plans for adding more ATR 42s in future. PIA's ATR fleet once was standing at 11 at its peak.

Covid Provide an opportunity to return Aircraft to the lessor(s) that are not really needed and about to expire the lease term. And PIA should induct newer Aircraft according to the market dynamics.

Three Aircraft types are enough for PIA, after a while PIA consolidated it for B777, A320 and ATR.

And now, IMO, PIA should explore possibility of inducting/leasing A220-100 aircraft instead of ATR's, and should return all of the ATRs, and work with CAA to make sure that every regional Airfield currently handling ATR operation should very least be able to handle A220-100 operation as well.

All of such Airfields can handle A220-100, but i am not sure about CJL and GIL.

[Hassan777]

From what i know the A220 requires about 400-500 feet more runway than the ATR standing at 4480 ft , most ATR operated fields in Pakistan hover around 5000 feet a few hundred feet of expansion would be enough for safe operation of the A220 , for gilgit they can use the park directly infront of the runaway but chitral has no way of expansion both ends of the runway are very close to river embankments , maybe buy 1-2 new ATRs just for chitral and keep rest of the fleet fully jet powered. Airport expansions are very likely since the Government is keen om boosting tourism in the north.

[Abbas Ali]

PIA ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKY Pakistan to South Africa ferry flight PK6721 with multiple technical/refueling stops.


Source: flightradar24.com

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

According to news reports, ATR 72-500 was unsuitable and not earning profit. However, the long lease term of ATR 72s was hurdle in returning them to the leasing company.

PIA management used a clause in aircraft lease agreement that enabled the airline to return all five dry leased ATR 72-500 aircraft during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PIA ATR 72-500 registration AP-BKY departing from Karachi Airport as ferry flight PK6721 to South Africa with multiple technical/refueling stops.









Abbas

[inducedrag]

How many ATR will PIA keep any information?

[Amaad Lone]

Yes the Covid-19 did destroy air travel business no doubt, but why return now and not earlier in June or July??

Once the the vaccine was out and travel could resume, PIA could have been a bit more creative and used the ATR72 for new routes that might have worked for local tourism.

I have always wondered why PIA could not connect Lahore to its Northern areas airports.

Lahore-Gilgit
Lahore-Skardu
Lahore-Chitral

With direct flights from Lahore instead of Islamabad the number of tourist going to these cities would increase.

Lahore-Kabul (lot of Afghans settled in Lahore)

Karachi-Multan multiple daily flights
Karachi-Quetta multiple daily flights
Lahore-Quetta
Islamabad-Quetta

[inducedrag]

Always wonder why PIA never operated. UET MUX. UET LYP UET PEW

[Hassan777]

Maybe as a part of the Government’s tourism policy they will expand northern areas airports or maybe make new ones , this would mean PIA could get the A220-100 to operate these flights , its a better option from a comfort perspective as well as maintenance perspective , looking at the overall records from fokker to ATR PIA handles Jet powered aircraft better than turboprops.

[Abbas Ali]

According to PIA spokesperson, the airline was making lease payments for ATR 72-500 sitting idle on the ground due to COVID-19 pandemic.

PIA took benefit of a clause that allowed airline to return the grounded/unutilized aircraft due to reduction/suspension of flight operations during COVID-19 pandemic. The airline will save millions of dollars in aircraft lease payments.

PIA is returning ATR 72-500 aircraft to the leasing company without any penalties payment.

All four ATR 72-500 aircraft registrations AP-BKV, AP-BKX, AP-BKY and AP-BKZ will be returned to the leasing company.

The three ATR 42-500 aircraft registrations AP-BHH, AP-BHI and AP-BHM owned by PIA will continue to serve the airline.

Abbas

[A310]

I have always wondered why PIA could not connect Lahore to its Northern areas airports.

Lahore-Gilgit
Lahore-Skardu
Lahore-Chitral

Since there is no refuelling at GIL/KDU/CJL it is not possible to operate direct flights to/from LHE. There will always have to be a stopover at ISB on the way back or vice versa.