ICAO standards being fully implemented: PIA

[mohammad abdulaziz]

KARACHI (November 03 2006): The recent rescheduling of PIA's UK operation is due to temporary re-deployment of PIA's 747 aircraft capacity to meet certain specific requirement, which have now become mandatory for European Union operations.

A PIA press release on Thursday said, the PIA has already developed an action plan to meet specific EU requirement, which was presented to EU officials in Brussels on October 20, 2006. The PIA is fully in compliance with the ICAO standards and other regulatory bodies.

B-747 aircraft are undergoing maintenance to make them compliant with EU refurbishment requirements and aircraft shall be put back on the route. Measures being taken in rescheduling UK operations has not affected schedule on PIA's Canada and European routes where capacity and frequencies remain the same.

Also on USA route, there is no change in existing schedule except one weekly flight to Houston that has been temporarily suspended during low season.

On Heathrow UK route, as against 10 flights, the airline will continue to offer nine flights between PK-London, which are sufficient to cater to market needs during November and up to mid-December 2006.