747 still fly

[Jacobin777]

but BAK is a 747 you know! LOL

Wow ... Thanks for the information!

yaar... it just that i dunt want it to leave, its like the pride of PIA.... it has served PIA so much...

Business shouldn't run on pride...PK needs new planes to stay competitive..especially from the Gulf Carriers...

[Adnan Anwar]

but BAK is a 747 you know! LOL

Wow ... Thanks for the information!

yaar... it just that i dunt want it to leave, its like the pride of PIA.... it has served PIA so much...

You want a lawsuit on PIA if it falls out of sky...God forbid if it broke apart in flight because you want it to keep flying. It is about time all 747 get retired and get replaced with something younger or all 777 that fill in the role .

[CombiFan]

Heard (mis)management is thinking of converting BAK and BAT into freighters.
It costs about 10-12 million dollars for a conversion, but the main problem is conversion slots, only a handful of companies can do it and looks like everone is booked for the next 2 yrs at least.
Not planning ahead has always led to financial disasters for PIA. Not saying its current managements fault, just saying they are no different.

[Abbas Ali]

PIA should consider acquiring Airbus A310-300F or new technology Boeing 777 freighter aircraft instead of spending money on conversion of ageing B747 Combis into freighters.

[Amaad Lone]

Spending $10 million on an aircraft with 85,000 hours does not sound very smart.

When will PIA recover the intial capital cost?

Either convert them to full passenger and fly them for another couple of years, so sell them.

[CombiFan]

I tend to agree with Abbas and Amaad about not converting them to freighters, even if it was a viable proposition, conversion slots are just not available. The best option would be to sell them at 2 million a piece and invest in T7 freighter. As a stopgap arrangement a 310 F can be bought or dry leased.
At this time the airline looks to be seriously deficient in Cargo capacity, the wet leased B4s are benifitting MNG only, it is not an ideal plane to fly on the PAK-EUR route which PIA is using it on. The only reason PIA is flying these is the 4 to 5 million dollars of rolling capital, which eventually has to be paid to MNG. The ACMI of $3100/hr is just not sustainable even with full loads both ways.

[FULLTHRUST]

As a stopgap arrangement a 310 F can be bought or dry leased.

Once again a very hot item, but from where???

[nutsforplanes]

I tend to stick with my earlier belief that the 74M's should be converted to full freighters. Whenever PIA can establish a a sound cargo business they can look into acquiring T7F's. Until then there is absolutely no reason to spend 100's of millions $'s on brand new freighters.

High cycles and hours do not mean too much on cargo A/C's. BAK & BAT can easily last another 10 years in freighter capacity. One of the forum members has mentioned a cost of $10-12 million for the conversion. The positive things about BAK & BAT is the already installed SCD and the strengthened main deck floor. KLM has fully utilised this concept, converting their 74M's into freighters.

Looking at slot availibility for conversion, what other choices does PIA have. Even T7F's and A310F wont be available immediately.

[CoyBoy]

Could PIA also operate freight charters with the 747F? not like MNG but in other ways, like if some one wnats to export or import stuff in large amounts an dthey need a frieghter they could charter PIA's for a single flight.

[nutsforplanes]

Coyboy wrote:

Could PIA also operate freight charters with the 747F? not like MNG but in other ways, like if some one wnats to export or import stuff in large amounts an they need a frieghter they could charter PIA's for a single flight

As somebody said "show me the monneeyyy"

[umar744]

today AP-BFY 747-300 first time to Dhaka DAC Bangladesh today.
AP-BGG flew Jeddah, Riyadh, Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, last few days ago and today.
743 and 74M still fly anywhere without UK and EU and USA no problem.
do you know why EU banned 747 classic to EU because of noisy engine, complaint, age old more than 15 to 20 yrs old and EU need money more money for business. A380 shame down did not delivery service same other airline Singapore, Emirates, etc are angry problem why not receive A380 NOT one in PIA. last few month ago USA FAA stopped BG Biman DC10 to JFK then diverted to Canada same did STOP Air France 777 turned back to Paris. have you been fly Air France and Alitalia before?
My first time sat business class on Alitalia A320 seat chair wear worn out and some dirty carpet and cabin and toilet then some few A320 ground and fixed maintance.
I flew AF and visited cockpit and pilot & cabin crew heavy smoking cigeratte in flightdeck. sometime dirty inside AF.
all aircraft are NOT 100% pure perfect.
all aircraft made in EU and USA NOT pakistan NOT PIA.
all staff and all airline and all PIA job have been hard work to clean and fixed anything. My friend PIA staff deaf & dumb work hard aircraft maintance and he said lots of staff hard work good job.
anything become worn out and break but world Number One is GOD never worn out or break for life.
good luck

[Moin]

Let me get one thing clear here. PIA's 747's have been banned from the UK and most of Europe, but Iran Air, Air India and Biman can still fly in their 747's and DC-10's?

In view of the above, granted AI's 743's an 744's are alot newer than PIA's 742's and 743's but many of them already look as if they're about to fall apart and as for IR and BG the only thing I can think of is that their maintenance must be far superior to PIA's as their fleets are a hell of alot older than PIA's.

[FULLTHRUST]

but many of them already look as if they're about to fall apart

Sorry to say, you have got no clue, what aircraft maintenance is?

[FULLTHRUST]

I flew AF and visited cockpit and pilot & cabin crew heavy smoking cigeratte in flightdeck. sometime dirty inside AF.

I would say, you are conservative about PIA flight deck, please tell the truth!!!!!!

[Moin]

Well FullThrust I must say you most certainly have a way with words.

I haven't been here in a while and almost forgot the wealth of knowledge the users of this site 'suffer' from thereby feeling the need to rub it in to us laymen.