For all u ziddi bacchas out there The News Article dated 28th December
KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees have refused to serve on the leased aircraft and demanded that the management bring its own fleet into operation.
“PIA flights operation is still facing difficulties maintaining flight punctuality as deliberate shortage of aircraft was created by management to justify acquisition of aircraft on wet lease,” a spokesman for the employees' Joint Action Committee said in a statement.
The spokesman said that the management was bent on causing more and more damage, both administratively and financially, as it had again decided to acquire Airbus A320s on lease along with operating cockpit and cabin crew.
He said that officially the management was denying a deal for Airbus A320s, but it was seeking permission from Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for certification just as it did when it denied Boeing 747 from Hellenic initially for Hajj season, but later tried to prove having extreme benefits from the same.
The employee unions and representatives had advised the management that if more aircraft were needed after bringing PIA's own fleet into operations, it should opt for Boeing 737s which were already in service in PIA and the airline had full HR and technical strength for operating them. Priority should be to make PIA's own fleet serviceable which could save millions of dollars, they said.
“Cancellation of around 1,200 PIA flights between August and November inflicted a loss of around Rs410 million to the airline which was one of the management's tactics to pave the way for leasing two Airbus A320,” the statement added. He said that there were 13 aircraft still grounded at PIA engineering department for want of engines, equipment and spare parts.
Among the grounded aircraft, there are Boenig-747s having multiple requirements, including engine installations and shakedown inspections. One Boeing 777 needs full painting works on its body to be airworthy.
There are three Boeing-737 aircraft also grounded. Besides Check-D and Shakedown inspections are also needed. Three grounded Airbus need engine change, Check A and D process. Two ATR planes need replacement of different spare parts with shakedown inspection and installation of two engines.