Options For PIA, Alteration In Scheduling

[Amaad Lone]

While everyone is mud slinging at the engineers, pilots, CAA, PIA management the airforce, may I suggest a more positive attitude.

While heads should roll for bring PIA to this level, the immediate goal should be to make a strategy for PIA to survive.

Since PIA is going to face a shortage of capacity due to partial grounding of its long haul fleet, PIA has to :

Make sure no destination is completely shut down due to this shortfall. We saw PIA being wiped out of the Far East market when the Indians banned the usage of their airspace to Pakistani aircraft.

PIA must make sure all european routes keep getting served during this time. So I suggest that instead of using Manchaster as a stopover for the entire North American flights, different European cities should get these flights.

For example:

Karachi-Lahore-Frankfurt-New York 2 weekly 777
Karachi-Lahore-Paris-New York 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Islamabad-Frankfurt-New York 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Islamabad-Paris-New York 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Lahore-Amsterdam-Chicago 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Islamabad-Amsterdam-Chicago 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Islamabad-Copenhagen-Toronto 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Lahore-Copenhagen-Toronto 1 weekly 777
Karachi-Paris-Toronto 1 weekly 777

We now can cover Frankfurt (3 weekly), Paris (3 weekly), Amsterdam (2 weekly), Copenhagen (2 weekly) with exsisting 777 flights going to North America.

This can release some A310s from service that served these european cities, allowing PIA to maintain services to important european destinations.

Leaving the A310s for Rome, Milan, Athens, Oslo and Moscow.

PIA still has airworthy 747s allowed in EU and UK airports.

PIA should connect the London and Manchaster flights, enabling PIA to maintain the number of flights into UK cities.

Islamabad-London-Manchaster-Islamabad

Karachi-London-Manchaster-Karachi

Lahore-London-Manchaster-Lahore

This will allow PIA to ground some aircraft for vital repairs, and hopefully not effect the passengers which otherwise would face cancellations.

Dry Leasing some classic 747s might be a good idea, considering if our own 747-300/200 are grounded for repairs, we will have their pilots sitting athome, so why not make them operate dry-leased jumbos.

[smarties]

whats the point of getting the 777LR if they are not going to fly non-stop to YYZ? There is no justification there.

Also, i think there is an issue with a transit visa or something if you fly through European destinations like FRA/AMS/CDG. Maybe someone can shed more light on this?

With regards to flying MAN-LHR and vv i don't think it will work.....most flights MAN-ISB and MAN-LHE are full most of the year. LHR-ISB and LHR-LHE are also pretty full most of the time. Besides, Pax from LHR will want to fly non-stop to their destination, that is the main attraction for pax using PIA from London.

Also getting more 747 classic is not a good idea...they are gas guzzing jets....PIA need to move forward, not backwards. PIA need to introduce fuel efficient aircrafts. More 777's in the fleet, there are many 777's waiting to be leased..UA airlines has many 777's which they want leased/purchased.

BTW it's Manchester, not Manchaster

[Amaad Lone]

whats the point of getting the 777LR if they are not going to fly non-stop to YYZ? There is no justification there.

These are not normal times, rather crisis situation with a large part of your long haul fleet being banned from the EU. Its time to retain some sanity and keep all stations open for flights. Great to have non-stop flights to Toronto, but no if it means shutting down Frankfurt or Paris.

Also getting more 747 classic is not a good idea...they are gas guzzing jets....PIA need to move forward, not backwards. PIA need to introduce fuel efficient aircrafts. More 777's in the fleet, there are many 777's waiting to be leased..UA airlines has many 777's which they want leased/purchased.

Yes 747s are heavy on fuel consumption versus the 777, but our cockpit crew need to be utilized, as the 777 fleet is already short of cockpit crew. Any 777 leased will have to be wetleased, versus the 747-200/300 can be obtained on dry lease, using our own pilots for them.

BTW it's Manchester, not Manchaster.

Thanks will try to remember next time.

Ten North American services can be covered by three 777s, leaving two for London and Manchaster, operating atleast 6 weekly flights to each city independently.

[subhan27]

I think Shannon Apt, (SNN), Ireland should be used as Technical Stop for all fights to USA & Glasgow could be used for scheduled flights to Toronto.
PIACO needs to lease more aircraft from other airlines of which there is no shortage of them.
Regarding cancelled or delayed flights they need to keep spare planes at destinations like New York, London & other places with more than 7 flights per week.
Does anyone know if flights are starting to Los Angeles & Vancouver in near future.
any comments on above.

[CombiFan]

"keep spare planes at destinations like New York, London and other places...." now thats an idea.

[PIA10141]

I would really like if they had a Karachi-Islamabad-Amsterdam-Toronto... that would be the best......

[smarties]

I would really like if they had a Karachi-Islamabad-Amsterdam-Toronto... that would be the best......

That is a brilliant idea, why fly KHI-YYZ non-stop when you can fly to Toronto with 2 stops.

Regarding cancelled or delayed flights they need to keep spare planes at destinations like New York, London & other places with more than 7 flights per week.

yeah, they can keep 1 spare planes at NYC, MAN, LHR, JED, DXB, BOM. It's not like PIA have a shortage of planes or anything. The planes can be kept at each of those stations "just in case". Briilliant.

[nutsforplanes]

Hey.. .the grounded A/C's can be kept at out-station as spares. Who says you have to fly them