Thanks Whitehatter very interesting!!!
I can certainly understand those sentiments, I spent some time flying in and out of various Pakistan airports with a previous airline and indeed the cabins regularly took a beating, I suppose if this is a daily occurance over a matter of decades then indeed I can see how issues would arise!

Does anyone know the plans for the GLA-LHE route? With this banning of the A310s surely the future of the route (for the time being at least) is in doubt? If so it would be a shame because it was good to have the option to fly non-stop (although I haven't yet used the route myself).

XSB

I remember Flying to LHE from LHR(july 2004) and we were stranded on LHR for two days because of some engine trouble with the old 747 and PIA had to fly in people from KHI to fix it. One source from the airline said that they will be in trouble if the UK engineers had seen the aeroplane so they had to call the staff from KHI.(statement was off the record in our hotel.)
I reckon its about time that they change their ageing fleet. I have found their service to be better than most of the airlines serving LHE from LHR(other airlines are indirect offcourse).
PS has anyone got the email address to send a complaint to the Emirates( for THE WORST flight experiences that i ever had, including delays and lots more)
cheers

Pakistan International Airlines
 

EU To Ban Most Pakistan Airlines Planes
February 23, 2007
The European Union is set to ban most of Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) fleet from flying to the 27 country bloc because of safety concerns, an EU source said on Friday.

The source said a committee of experts had decided to block all but seven planes of the airline's roughly 40 aircraft fleet from flying to Europe for failing to meet international safety standards.

"Only those seven will be allowed to make flights to European Union countries," the source said. "The rest of the fleet will be blacklisted."

State-run PIA declined to comment.

"We cannot comment on this until we receive an official communication from the EU," a PIA spokesman said in Karachi.

The decision is likely to come into force in about 10 days, the EU source said, once it is made official by the executive European Commission.

The source said the decision could cause disruptions to passengers because the airline had flight connections to Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands.

A Pakistani diplomat in Brussels said the airline was working to address the EU's concerns, which focused on maintenance problems and old aircraft.

"It is for the airline to take steps to alleviate the situation and they are already doing that," the diplomat said.

"I think there is a great effort by PIA and also by the European officials that passengers should not suffer too much from this," he said.

Last year the Commission banned nearly 100 airlines from operating in the bloc, targeting mostly African carriers after a spate of fatal crashes involving European passengers.

In addition, Bulgaria, which joined the EU in January, has suspended five carriers from flying to the rest of the bloc as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland until the companies achieve necessary safety standards.

Those carriers are Air Sofia, Bright Aviation Services, Heli Air Services, Skorpion Air and Vega Airlines.

The carriers are not being placed on the EU blacklist.

"The Aviation Safety Committee has expressed its satisfaction from Bulgaria's measures, due to which there are no Bulgarian airline companies included in the blacklist," the Bulgarian transport ministry said in a statement.

deja vu??
 

The search function is your friend.....

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=224270

Well it seems that Britain and Germany have now officially enforced the ruling that PIA can only fly 777s to their countries.

"Old PIA Planes Banned" (Sky News)

Are their A310s and 747s really in that bad a state? Will this affect operations much, I thought quite a few of their UK routes 310s and 747s?

Will they now drop the STN route or use 777's ?

The official EU press release....

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm

Uk Pia
 

Having cancelled the last Sat and Sun A310 fights to Birmingham BHX todays ( Mon ) flight is scheduled to operate on a 777 instead of the A310.

Centre Cities

Any news on how PIA are coping with this situation ? I presume they must be cancelling non 777 flights or chartering in others like the recent MAS 777. Is LHR all 747 ?

EGLL is B772, B773 and the occasional B747.

BHX now showing Sunday Monday and Thursday with the 777

What is STN showing ???

Well if the airlines struggling their chairman aint doing to bad:

CHAIRMAN PIAC - Kirmani's Salary Package ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal shared with senators the salary package of PIA chairman Tariq Kirmani, which showed that Kirmani was the most expensive employee of Shaukat Aziz government when PIA was crumbling under Rs 4.1 billion domestic and $ 454 million foreign loans. Defence Minister told the Upper House during the question hour that PIA has also borrowed over $300 million from the Citibank to sustain its operations.

But on the other hand after going through the details of package given to Kirmani, it does not look PIA was running in losses or it owed massive loans to both local and foreign banks.

His basic salary is Rs 322,000 per month and he entitled 26 perks and allowances - including drivers, medical bills, traveling, free utilities, insurance for members of family, two cars and furniture making him one of the most expensive employees of PIA running on borrowed loans.

http://www.palpa.org.pk/images/imga1.jpgKirmani, in addition to salary is getting Rs 155,000 as house rent, 10 percent of basic salary as entertainment allowance, 20 percent of annual basic salary as leave fare assistance, Rs 25 per month as cost of living allowance, Rs 200 as dearness allowance, Rs 200 technical allowance per month, Rs 4,000 servant allowance, two company owned and maintained cars (1600CC, 1300CC).


He has two official drivers and each is given Rs 6000 per month by PIA. There is no limit on the fuel expenses; PIA also pays the bill of domestic electricity, phone, mobile phone, domestic gas, water and conservancy, reimbursement of entrance fee of a club and monthly subscription for two approved clubs.
He is entitled to have four air conditioners from PIA account, refrigerator, deep freezer, cooking range and generator and has the right to get them replaced.
http://www.palpa.org.pk/images/imga3.jpgKirmani is also entitled to performance-based reward equivalent to four basic salaries per annum (Rs 1.3 million). He will also get Rs 25,000 in the name of painting of his house. As far as furnishing of his residence is concerned, he is entitled to fixed amount of Rs 150,000 as residential furnishing; minor repairs and maintenance of residence involving actual expenditures, security cover at all times both while mobile and at residence, medical benefits include full treatment for parents, self, spouse and children. On voluntary retirement before completion of term of service, he will get one month gross salary of Rs 330,000 for each year of service with maximum of 20 months salary. When he attains the age of 60, he will be entitled to 30 days gross salary for each year of service completed. He will also get pension. As he was MD Pakistan State Oil (PSO) before his elevation to PIA chairman, his new contract includes a clause that PSO will transfer all funds accumulated in respect of long term benefits of Tariq Kirmani to PIA, which will continue to maintain and manage these until his appointment at PIA. For the purpose of computation of period in respect of any benefit, his period of employment with PSO shall be added to his employment with PIA.
Defence Minister Rao Sikandar also told the House that on the other hand, PIA had taken a loan of Rs 4.1 billion from local banks to help PIA operate in the country.
Source: The News (August 3, 2006)

Any idea when the IST operation is planned to start with 777?

Looks like PIA have brought in some wet leases to get them out of trouble. BHX is back to a 310 from today and it looks like it may have been in before with W5.

STN
 

The Saturday flight is cancelled.

New B777 on approach to Manchester this time on delivery

Ian

Heres the new bird


http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5934421

AP BHX an appropiate registration, wonder if it will ever operate into BHX???