PIA eyes lucrative EU routes, to increase flights to London

[Abbas Ali]

LAHORE: The Air Safety Committee of the European Union (EU) has notified Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that it expects that the restriction imposed on a segment of the national carrier’s fleet will be partially lifted from July 6, 2007. PIA responded to the notification with a decision that it would re-launch its aircraft on the most profitable routes in the sector, a PIA official told Daily Times on Tuesday.

From July 6 PIA will give priority to the top six profit-generating routes, which includes flights to Amsterdam, Rome, Glasgow, Frankfurt and Birmingham, the official said. PIA will also increase the number of weekly flights from Lahore to London, which currently stands at only two. “We plan to enhance it to the previous number, that is five days a week.”

PIA is already running flights to Paris, Milan, Oslo, Copenhagen and Manchester, he said. However, PIA was not ready to start flights on routes that the carrier had already dumped, which includes Moscow and Athens, he added.

It was decided in a recent meeting that the airline would move slowly, starting with profit-generating routes and would gradually start services on others, the official said. The lifting of restrictions on EU routes will enhance profit-generation and help PIA in its ongoing financial crunch, he added.

The EU committee imposed restrictions on the PIA fleet on March 6, 2007, disallowing PIA from operating its fleet of 20 Boeing 747s and Airbus A310s on European routes.

The relaxation will enable PIA to operate 11 approved Boeing 747s and Airbus A310s in Europe. The remaining fleet of similar aircraft will be reviewed in September-October, after which a complete lifting of the restrictions will be considered, the official said.

Commenting on the decision, PIA Chairman Zaffar A Khan expressed pleasure at the progress that has enabled the airline to overcome the EU’s concerns. He said the past four months represented a dark chapter in the national carrier’s history, but the airline had addressed the concerns with diligence and efficiency. A detailed recovery action plan had been developed and substantially implemented, he said. The EU’s Air Safety Commission had carefully monitored PIA’s corrective measures and the easing of restrictions reflected their satisfaction with the steps that had been taken, he said.

The chairman felt that as a consequence of the measures, PIA had enhanced the safety and reliability of its fleet. He appreciated the efforts of the PIA team but added that there was no room for complacency. The airline must continue to keep safety and reliability as the top priority in its operation, he said.

Source: Daily Times

[PK.786]

so lhr is getting more flight

[dragonfly]

PIA can only increase flights to LHR if there is a new ASA between pakistan and UK,and also if PIA can secure the slots at heathrow,something PIA is never gonna do,management in London is a waste of time and space,been dealing with them for far to long,they have no idea as to what the other carriers flying to pakistan are doing with marketing / sales.
Sales and marketing department in London only good for eating M&S biscuits,and dinning at agents expense,I am sorry if this comment upsets anyone on this forum,but it hurts me greatlyto see PIA in its current situation,We advised PIA about BA increasing flights and Air Blue coming to Man,there answer was it will never happen!

[javed]

PIA can only increase flights to LHR if there is a new ASA between pakistan and UK,and also if PIA can secure the slots at heathrow,something PIA is never gonna do,management in London is a waste of time and space,been dealing with them for far to long,they have no idea as to what the other carriers flying to pakistan are doing with marketing / sales.
Sales and marketing department in London only good for eating M&S biscuits,and dinning at agents expense,I am sorry if this comment upsets anyone on this forum,but it hurts me greatlyto see PIA in its current situation,We advised PIA about BA increasing flights and Air Blue coming to Man,there answer was it will never happen!

That is very true of every PIA office. I have witnessed behaviour for past four decades at various international offices. Found even non-pakistani PIA employees doing the same. Recently, the toll free call center has improved dramatically. As long as, call center was in US, they never pickedup the phone

[javed]

LHR-LHE and MAN-LHE need to be a daily flight at exact same time and exact same flight number. Same for MAN-KHI and LHR-KHI sectors. Only equipment should change and time should remain the same 365 days a year.

RWP can be served occasionaly may be one flight per week max.

PIA flight ops is stupid and change times and flight numbers for every single flight on each day of the week on a given sector. Sometimes, only by 5 minutes - but they will change. This is pure stupidity. Time table changes about 6-7 times a year. Other airlines time-table remains static year after year after year.......

[javed]

PIA can only increase flights to LHR if there is a new ASA between pakistan and UK

New bilateral when ever negotiated will be with EU instead of Britain. That is EU policy. EU is angry that PIA serves so many locations while only one EU airline fly to Pakistan. They consider it as a net loss to EU economy. EU is dimishing as hub for Americas to Asia travel. They are mad at Gulf operators for spoling their aviation industry. LR and ER 777's and 787's are only expediting the destruction of European Aviation industry.

Once again due to colonial mindset, they will keep bullying the third world right and left.

[PK.786]

LHR-LHE load is bullshit apart from the summer. off-peak you would be lucky to get a 100 pax on a flight.

LHR-ISB need to 7 days a week always a good load.

[Imran Hassan]

No I totally disagree with you there. BA is doing well on ISB while PIA should concentrate on LHE since it is ever so hard to get ticket for LHE.

[PK.786]

isb traffic will allways be with pia coz of amout of baggage u can take. people from azad kashmir dont travel light. the ammout of money pk make on excess laggage.

[Aer Pakistan]

as working for airline i think pia should operate daily flt from lahore to london as it will bring more choice to passenger's

right now pia should fly in to lhr daily

khi - lhr with A310 arr lhr at 1300
lhe - lhr with B772 arr lhr at 1500
isb - lhr with B773 arr lhr at 1700

lhr-khi with A310 dept at 1700
lhr-lhe with B772 dept at 1900
lhr-isb with B773 dept at 2100.

[Moin]

Yes Ali, you mentioned that to someone who appreciated what you said didn't he?

[SteveUK]

I understand that slots at LHR are now 'theoretically' up for grabs to all airlines. However the reality is that they are exceedingly difficult to get, as US carriers are currently finding out. The chief constraint seems to be that airlines' schedules are set in stone, and the available slots do not match the carriers' requirements. Occasionally an airline can adjust it's schedule to match available slots, as Air New Zealand did last year in order to obtain slots for their new AKL via HKG service. PIA should make efforts to try and get at least another 4 weekly slots - giving them a double-daily PAK to LHR service, 4 from KHI, 4 from LHE and 6 from ISB (the busiest and most lucrative route). So far as comments about the colonial West battering the third World are concerned, I don't see that in regards to PIA's tally of UK slots - which amount to 5 at BHX, 2 at GLA, 10 at LHR and any number they like at MAN.

[Jacobin777]

I understand that slots at LHR are now 'theoretically' up for grabs to all airlines. However the reality is that they are exceedingly difficult to get, as US carriers are currently finding out. The chief constraint seems to be that airlines' schedules are set in stone, and the available slots do not match the carriers' requirements. Occasionally an airline can adjust it's schedule to match available slots, as Air New Zealand did last year in order to obtain slots for their new AKL via HKG service. PIA should make efforts to try and get at least another 4 weekly slots - giving them a double-daily PAK to LHR service, 4 from KHI, 4 from LHE and 6 from ISB (the busiest and most lucrative route). So far as comments about the colonial West battering the third World are concerned, I don't see that in regards to PIA's tally of UK slots - which amount to 5 at BHX, 2 at GLA, 10 at LHR and any number they like at MAN.

I agree with the slot timings...given PK's O&D setup for London-Pakistan..I think PK should go for one of the "cheaper" slots as I don't believe flight timings will be a majour source of concern as it would be for other carriers...

[Umair]

Please can anyone mention the names of the aircraft allowed back into the E.U.

[PK777]

Please can anyone mention the names of the aircraft allowed back into the E.U.

See the following thread, the reg of the aircraft that PIA is allowed to fly into EU are provided in the below thread:

viewtopic.php?t=9209&start=45