Another Option For Europe

[Amaad Lone]

PIA is currently going through an off season, and replacing a 192 seater A310 with a 329 seat 777 might increase losses at a time when PIA needs to save every penny.

Also deploying the 433 seat 747 to North America instead of the 329 seat 777 might not be good for the balance sheet.

The plan at the momment should be to keep as many european stations open as possible, and not kill the balance sheet at the same time.

There are currently 10 777 North American flights every week. Seven are through Manchaster, and three are non-stop.

I would shift stopover point to the 10 North American flights to Amsterdam (3), Paris (3) and Frankfurt (4), thus cutting some capacity to Manchaster but keeping three other destinations open. Non-stop flights to Toronto should be halted.

Some of the flights to London, Manchaster, Birmingham and Glasgow should also be given a stopover. These previously non-stop flights should now be linked to Rome, Milan, Copenhagen and Oslo.

Specially Birmingham and Glasgow which are going to be upgraded to the 777 from an A310.

Istanbul and Athens can be served by the leased A321s via Dubai.

Like mentioned before, since its offseason, and PIA is facing low loadfactors to begin with, such a move can be pulled off until PIA gets its act together by the time summer season hits.

[Amaad Lone]

Flights Into North America via Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam

Karachi Lahore Frankfurt New York
Karachi Lahore Frankfurt New York
Karachi Islamabad Frankfurt New York
Karachi Islamabad Frankfurt New York
Karachi Lahore Amsterdam New York
Karachi Lahore Amsterdam Chicago
Karachi Islamabad Amsterdam Chicago
Karachi Lahore Paris Toronto
Karachi Lahore Paris Toronto
Karachi Islamabad Paris Toronto

New York Frankfurt Lahore Karachi
New York Frankfurt Lahore Karachi
New York Frankfurt Islamabad Karachi
New York Frankfurt Islamabad Karachi
New York Amsterdam Lahore Karachi
Chicago Amsterdam Lahore Karachi
Chicago Amsterdam Islamabad Karachi
Toronto Paris Lahore Karachi
Toronto Paris Lahore Karachi
Toronto Paris Islamabad Karachi

These ten weekly flights should give New York 5, Chicago 2, Toronto 3, Frankfurt 4, Amsterdam 3 and Paris 3 weekly flights.

Flights Into United Kingdom via Rome, Milan, Athens, Copenhagen, Oslo
Islamabad London
Islamabad London
Islamabad London
Islamabad London
Karachi Rome London
Karachi Rome London
Karachi Athens London
Lahore Athens London
Lahore Copenhagen London
Lahore Copenhagen London
Islamabad Manchaster
Islamabad Manchaster
Islamabad Manchaster
Islamabad Manchaster
Karachi Manchaster
Karachi Manchaster
Lahore Milan Manchaster
Lahore Milan Manchaster
Islamabad Birmingham
Islamabad Birmingham
Islamabad Birmingham
Lahore Oslo Glasgow
Lahore Oslo Glasgow

London Islamabad
London Islamabad
London Islamabad
London Islamabad
London Rome Karachi
London Rome Karachi
London Athens Karachi
London Athens Lahore
London Copenhagen Lahore
London Copenhagen Lahore
Manchaster Islamabad
Manchaster Islamabad
Manchaster Islamabad
Manchaster Islamabad
Manchaster Karachi
Manchaster Karachi
Manchaster Milan Lahore
Manchaster Milan Lahore
Birmingham Islamabad
Birmingham Islamabad
Birmingham Islamabad
Glasgow Oslo Lahore
Glasgow Oslo Lahore

Out of a total of 23 U.K weekly flights, only ten will have a stop and remaining 13 will remain non-stop. Allowing Rome, Milan, Athens, Copenhagen and Oslo to keep getting two weekly flights each.

North America will probably need four 777s while UK flights will have to do with five aircraft, or in total of nine 777s.

Including the leased MAS aircraft and eight of its own PIA can probably pull this schedule off, keeping flights going to all european destinations, using its eight 777s.

[mohammad abdulaziz]

Amaad, I am very impressed by your analysis.
I strongly believe that PIA needs services of a genius but sincere person like Amaad to not only steer it from problems it faces from time to time but also to make an effective and sustainable turnaround of PIA.

[Hamad]

I find this is an great opion for PIA because I live in germany and an Boeing 777 is an great aircraft!
And Air India do this also, Air India flights go from/to:
Delhi-Frankfurt-Chicago
Delhi-Frankfurt-New York
And why does that PIA do not also do so?
Iam very happy when that is reality!
regards:

Hamad Nasar

[FMC]

If PIA is depending upon their B777s to get them out of this self created mess they are sadly mistaken. All B777 operations are in a net loss which to some extent are balanced by the B747 and PIA's own A310s. It may take another 5 to 6 years for the B777 to break even.

[Kashif]

Your plan is not realistic because of all the negotiating needed to change routes. They would have to apply to Pakistan CAA, EU, FAA and Canadian CAA (If Toronto route is altered) and this can take months. Also airports like Amsterdam, Paris & Frankfurt have very heavy traffic and PIA may require slot allocation. Slots are generally hard to get, so PIA would have to negotiate with the appropiate airport to gain those slots and then they would have to do a huge route structure change to make it all happend.

Another negative impact of your plan will be to alter UK nonstop flights to one stop flights. UK is by far the biggest market in Europe for PIA. Offering nonstop flights to PK is one of few great advantages PIA can offer it´s customer. You take that away and the competition from the Gulf carriers will eat up PIA´s marketshare like there is no tomorrow.

It is a much more viable option to actually get PIA in order. All this negative publicity of PIA I hope will get lots of notice in Pakistan so the press and people of Pakistan start inquiries into the mismanagement of PIA (Well I hope to God, but who knows, it´s still Pakistan).

Maybe all this bad publicity will speed up the process of privatization of PIA.

I also sincerely hope that this EU ban of PIA aircrafts will encourage foreign airlines from Europe to start service to Pakistan. Nonstops from major Hubs as Amsterdam, Frankfurt & Paris to ISB, LHE and KHI will be great news for the pakistani consumers.

[Amaad Lone]

Also airports like Amsterdam, Paris & Frankfurt have very heavy traffic and PIA may require slot allocation. Slots are generally hard to get, so PIA would have to negotiate with the appropiate airport to gain those slots

PIA already flies to Paris 4 times, Amsterdam 3 times and Frankfurt 3 times every week. PIA will not need additional slots, just end the terminating flights and use these three cities as a stopover, something PIA did uptill in the end of 1990s.

Another negative impact of your plan will be to alter UK nonstop flights to one stop flights. UK is by far the biggest market in Europe for PIA. Offering nonstop flights to PK is one of few great advantages PIA can offer it´s customer. You take that away and the competition from the Gulf carriers will eat up PIA´s marketshare like there is no tomorrow.

Only ten out of 23 flights will have a stopover, 13 will remain non-stop. Specially the flights out of Islamabad which get the heaviest load to UK.

It is a much more viable option to actually get PIA in order. All this negative publicity of PIA I hope will get lots of notice in Pakistan so the press and people of Pakistan start inquiries into the mismanagement of PIA

Getting PIA in order is the main issue, as I said before, its only a matter of time before the new 777 fleet faces the same issues that our A310s are facing.

PIA first priority should be to keep all european destinations open for business, without harming the balance sheet to much. Its great to fly 777s to Europe, but not with 150 passengers per flight.

[nutsforplanes]

Gee! Amaad, how much time did you spend working out this schedule. But, like you mentioned it is off-season and maybe, it is do-able.

This plan will put a lot of pressure on the 777's. Considering the state of affairs of PIA, even if one 777 goes tech, will throw the schedule in a tailspin (no pun intended). Maybe they can deploy the ATR's. I am sure
they do not come under the ban.

[trikko]

Dear Ammad

Great Job and i appreciate your concern and hard work but unfortunately its an airline not a Karachi minibus to change your route anytime you feel like.

[behramjee]

Karachi Lahore Paris Toronto
Karachi Islamabad Paris Toronto

not possible as bilateral doesnt permit it...PIA though has 5th freedom rights to YYZ via FRA...but YYZ can hold up on its own so no need for a routing via EU.

Flights Into United Kingdom via Rome, Milan, Athens, Copenhagen, Oslo

if this happens, PIA will lose its dominant UK-PAK market share to the Arab carriers who offer a similar one stop option...the main reason why PIA is so popular and profitable with its UK flights is because theyre nonstop + UK based Pakistanis prefer them largely due to this especially those bound for LHE/ISB.

Delhi-Frankfurt-New York

AI doesnt route its JFK flights via FRA...theyre all via LHR and EWR is via CDG. AI has a large scale hub at FRA for their onward ORD/LAX flights and will likely be using it for future IAD and IAH flights as well as theyre going to become Star Alliance members soon.

PIA has a similar yet smaller scaled operation via its MAN hub for trans-atlantic flights but the main difference is that PIA doesnt enjoy 5th freedom rights on many of its MAN-USA routes unlike AIs FRA-USA routes.

PIA first priority should be to keep all european destinations open for business, without harming the balance sheet to much.

PIAs priority should be to shut its non profitable charity flown routes to mainland EU cities such as ATH/IST/MXP/FCO/AMS where $$ is not made. They should stick to ones that make a bit of money such as OSL-CPH-CDG & FRA and not bother about the rest.

Its great to fly 777s to Europe, but not with 150 passengers per flight.

true...but flying a 2 stop A 310 route PAK-EU-PAK is even worse when it comes to operating costs.

[CombiFan]

Great analysis Behramjee, I agree with all the points you make, specially the last one.

[B777240ER]

Instead of having to serve the two stop EU destinations why not terminate them for the time being. All the 777 fleet cannot serve all the destinations.

The board should carefully analayse where the demand is the highest in mainland Europe, the destination from which passengers can be interlined with other destinations. Via FRA or AMS.

PIA will also have to act quickly before the summer.

[Amaad Lone]

PIA needs to announce an all 777 flight schedule for Europe urgently.
So far Germany and UK have banned the A310 and 747s from its airports, and PIA is scrambling to place 777s to Frankfurt and Glasgow.

What about other EU destinations next week????

PIA must be losing booking like mad on EU routes, further aggravating the problem.

PIA needs to announce an all 777 schedule for UK and mainland Europe with immediate effect.

An all 747 operation for North America will allow PIA enough hours to cover the entire UK and Europe with its eight 777s.

Flights to North America can make a re-fueling stop at Istanbul, flying 10 hours from there to North America non-stop, something possible for its 747-300 aircraft.

Around 8 weekly flights into North America New York (4), Chicago (2) and Toronto (2), can easily be covered by three 747s, leaving another five for Jeddah, Bombay, Delhi, Dhaka and domestic routes.

[sadiqhassan]

If anyone is interested, PIA can fly to Canada via Damascus, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, New York or Zurich and back via Brussels, Dhahran, Dubai, Frankfurt or Paris.

I may have read the site incorrectly, so I am wrong - please feel free to correct.

The website is here: http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/air-aerien/agr ... tan_e.html

[sadiqhassan]

if this happens, PIA will lose its dominant UK-PAK market share to the Arab carriers who offer a similar one stop option...the main reason why PIA is so popular and profitable with its UK flights is because theyre nonstop + UK based Pakistanis prefer them largely due to this especially those bound for LHE/ISB.

While I agree with this, I know quite a few people who still don't mind a direct flight which stops somewhere to changing planes enroute. Dubai has become particularly horrendous to transit in.

PIAs priority should be to shut its non profitable charity flown routes to mainland EU cities such as ATH/IST/MXP/FCO/AMS where $$ is not made. They should stick to ones that make a bit of money such as OSL-CPH-CDG & FRA and not bother about the rest.

I definately agree with this. These EU regulations are forceing PK to look at what routes make it the most profit. Hopefully the airline will ditch anything that will not make money under the new rules and wth the new aircraft restrictions.