ANA 747 in KHI today

[CoyBoy]

A 742 of the airline sporting full basic livery minus titles and partially painted over tail logo was at the airport today parked in an extreme corner beyond the hangar.

[Waqar747]

I saw it too.. The blue tail first fooled me into thinking it might be an Atlas Air/ Polar Air/ Emirates Cargo, but then I saw the fuselage.
What is it doing in Khi? Hajj Lease?

[Abbas Ali]

I think you guys saw ex-ANA Boeing 747-281B (Japanese registration JA8174). It was acquired on lease by Air Universal in October 2005 and registered as 5B-AUC. The aircraft was in storage at Tokyo's Haneda Airport since October 23, 2005 in basic ANA livery but without titles. Now according to latest reports, the aircraft's registration 5B-AUC was cancelled and it was seen leaving Haneda Airport on November 30, 2005 with Pakistani registration AP-BIE.

Is this Boeing 747 still with Air Universal under Pakistani registration and doing Hajj flights for PIA or is it acquired on lease by some Pakistani airline? Any info would be much appreciated.

Photo of this Boeing 747 in ANA colors:

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 747-281B (registration JA8174) at Tokyo-Haneda Airport - Photo Copyright Jay Piboontum

Link to large photo: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/809981/L/

[CoyBoy]

Do leased aircraft of other airlines doing Hajj charters normally change their registration to that of the country they are operating to/from?

I would have been happy if PIA had literally copied this livery in shades of green, or even KLM's previous one again in green's.

[cheetah]

Air Universal has acquired a Cyprus AOC, but Cyprus CAA is not equipped to handle a B747 fleet as yet, so the registeration is delayed.

Pakistani registeration does not make sense. You need to hold a Pakistani AOC to be able to do so. I would have expected a 9L registeration.

[CoyBoy]

Aircraft has now left KHI after atleast a week if not more in the city, anyone know where its gone?