According to sources close to the proceedings, the authorities have been engaged in the process of providing the required information and data to the consortium of shortlisted companies. This consortium consists of six parties, identified by the Business Insider publication as Air Blue, Arif Habib Corporation, Blue World City, Fly Jinnah, Pak Ethanol Consortium, and the YB Holdings Consortium.  

The companies that have made it onto the shortlist making up the pre-qualified consortium will now be eligible to participate in the full bidding process for PIA. The final decision will be based on submissions received from the parties in that process.    

The pathway to privatization was set out during the Privatisation Commission Board meeting, chaired by Federal Privatization Minister Aleem Khan earlier in June 2024. During that meeting, Aleem Khan reiterated the administration’s 鈥渦nwavering commitment to ensuring a transparent, efficient privatization process for all state-owned enterprises that are incurring significant losses.鈥澨�
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To maintain the highest level of transparency, and foster confidence among stakeholders, Khan suggested broadcasting the privatization proceedings live on various media platforms – a proposal that is yet to be confirmed.听

The update comes following a previous meeting back in April 2024, following which the country精东影业 Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized that the PIA privatization process was expected to be complete by the end of June or early July 2024, with Islamabad Airport potentially following suit shortly afterward onto the market.  

鈥淲e will ensure the transparent and swift privatization of all loss-making institutions,鈥� Aleem Khan was quoted as saying in the statement. 鈥淭he technical and financial stability of the institutions participating in the privatization process will be taken into account. We are privatizing loss-making institutions to stabilize the national economy,鈥� the minister added. 

PIA suffered a major setback to its privatization plans back at the start of June 2024 after the European Union Commission decided to continue restrictions imposed on Pakistan-based airlines, including national carrier PIA from being permitted to fly to airports within Europe.鈥疶he decision followed a detailed and lengthy safety audit carried out by the EU Air Safety Committee in November 2023 into that country精东影业 aviation sector.鈥� 

Following its review, the Committee determined that there were insufficient grounds to amend the current list of air carriers prohibited from operating within the EU. The decision had been keenly awaited by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), who had been expecting PIA鈥痶o be cleared to resume flights to EU airports following the audit.鈥�� 

Without the clearances required to resume flying to major European hubs such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, PIA精东影业 ability to operate on some of the routes that it historically found its most lucrative will be a point to consider before any potential investor finally commits to signing a contract to take ownership of the carrier.听 听听

听听听听

Dismay at PIA as EU continues its ban on Pakistani carriers flying to Europe听听

• Airlines
• Aviation Safety

byLuke Peters

2024-06-03

The decision follows a detailed and lengthy safety audit that was carried out by the EU Air Safety Committee in November 2023 into the state of that country精东影业 aviation sector. 

Following its latest review, the Committee determined that there were insufficient grounds to amend the current list of air carriers prohibited from operating within the EU. The decision had been keenly awaited by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), who had been expecting PIA to be cleared to resume flights to EU airports following the audit.听听

鈥淚n accordance with the common criteria set out in the regulation, the Commission considers that at this time there are no grounds for amending the list of air carriers, which are subjected to an operating ban within the union with respect to air carriers certified in Pakistan,鈥� the Committee精东影业 report concluded. 

During the November 2023 review process, which was carried out in Pakistan, it is understood the inspectors critically examined the PCAA精东影业 role in safety oversight and identified multiple areas of concern. These included deviations from established safety procedures and significant understaffing in the Flight Standards Directorate, despite the authority being staffed by technically skilled professionals.听

In the Committee精东影业 evaluation report, it stated that 鈥減articular attention should be given to the continuous monitoring of the safety situation and developments in Pakistan, through the regular organization of technical meetings in Brussels before each EU Air Safety Committee, and regular progress reporting from PCAA鈥�. 

The Committee also highlighted the need for the Pakistani government精东影业 continued support in the process, as well as the importance of ensuring leadership stability within the PCAA as a cornerstone for a well-functioning organization.  

In response to the Committee精东影业鈥� findings, the PCAA has presented a corrective action plan that details measures it is taking to address the deficiencies noted. This plan has already been discussed during a hearing with the EU Safety Committee in May 2024. 

While effectively shutting the door to PIA精东影业 European return, for now, the Committee has left the matter open for further review going forward. The report expressly retained the possibility of inviting the PCAA to an additional hearing at future EU Air Safety Committee meetings, as may be warranted. 

Although the PCAA remains stoic about the possibility of other opportunities to overturn the ban in the future, executives at PIA are said to be 鈥渉ugely disappointed鈥� with the decision and are lamenting how the opportunity of a return to lucrative flights to destinations such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam has alluded it once again.听听

The airline is said to have been striving to improve standards ahead of the most recent audit, so this announcement will come as a blow to the carrier. Allowing European flights is seen as vital to breathe new life back into the flag carrier, which has been struggling since the EU flight ban was imposed in 2020. Such a move would also boost the country精东影业 economy, as more travelers would potentially visit the country were PIA operating to Europe.  

The ban was ordered by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which cited serious safety concerns following the fatal crash of PIA flight PK8303, operated by an Airbus A320 in Karachi on May 22, 2020.  

The UK精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority quickly followed suit with a similar ban, while the US Federal Aviation Administration also downgraded Pakistan精东影业 aviation safety status following the EASA concerns.听听听

Japan Airlines under pressure from government over spate of safety incidents

• Airlines
• Aviation Safety

byIan Molyneaux

2024-05-28

A spokesperson for the airline told various media outlets that Faiza Mukhtar, a flight attendant employed by PIA, was on duty for flight PK 781 from Islamabad International Airport (ISB) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The flight landed in Toronto on January 18, 2024. 

Mukhtar was scheduled to depart the following day to work on flight PK 784 from Toronto Airport to Karachi International Airport (KHI). 

However, Mukhtar did not show up for duty and could not be located.

Unfortunately, flight attendants 鈥榙isappearing鈥� is not an unusual situation for Pakistan International Airlines. Over the last two years, at least eight flight attendants have vanished during the airline精东影业 layovers in Canada.

In December 2023, the airline imposed stricter rules on its flights to Canada, including rostering only flight attendants over the age of 50, and stricter monitoring of crew during layovers.

The airline, through its spokesperson, attributed the disappearances to Canada精东影业 lenient immigration policies and liberal asylum procedures. 

鈥淭here is no failure [on the part of the airline] as we have tried to put in the most stringent possible efforts to curtail that. However, the laws of Canada are so liberal that those measures become counter-effective,鈥� the spokesperson told Middle East media outlet The Media Line.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Canada does not deport asylum seekers to certain countries that it believes are not safe.听

Another Pakistan International Airlines flight attendant goes missing in Canada

• Airlines
• This is interesting!

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-12-06

The publicly owned airline had already received a 15.6 billion Pakistani Rupee (US$51 million) support package back in May 2023.听听

The rejection of the airline精东影业 petition adds to several woes afflicting the airline. In the first months of 2023, PIA faced multiple legal challenges from its creditors, including aircraft lessors and airport operators, and has had assets repossessed in several jurisdictions due to lack of payment. 

Also, 11 of the airline精东影业 31 aircraft are grounded, with three in a state deemed beyond repair.  

PIA精东影业 problems also extend to its operations.  

In 2020, the airline was banned from operating in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) following a scandal concerning the fraudulent obtention of some of its pilots鈥� licenses. More recently, PIA has been rocked by repeated flight delays and issues with delivering passenger luggage on time.  

The latter incidents earned PIA a fine from the Pakistani government. 

In August 2023, the Pakistani government announced its intention to privatize the airline, which is expected to post a 112 billion Pakistani Rupee (US$365 million) loss in 2023, since it is deemed to be financially unviable in its current form. 

Loss-making Pakistan International Airlines to be privatized听

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

1 minute read

In a statement on August 7, 2023, the government announced that the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCoP) held a meeting where attendees, including the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, considered a proposal that PIA should enter the country精东影业 the privatization program.听听

鈥淭he CCoP after deliberation decided to include Pakistan International Airlines Co. Ltd (PIACL) in the list of active privatization projects of the ongoing privatization program, following an amendment in the law by the Parliament,鈥� the statement said. 

Additionally, the CCop also gave the green light for a financial adviser to be found to process the transaction of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, an asset of PIA Investment Limited (PIA-IL). 

In July 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) suspended the PIA精东影业 license for flights to European countries.  

The suspension came following a pilot license scandal in which Pakistan精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority suspected active Pakistani pilots had cheated during mandatory pilot exams. 

According to , in July 2023, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said he hoped flights to the United Kingdom (UK) would resume over the next few months.听听

“God willing, the PIA flights will resume at least to the UK in three months, and, later, flights to Europe and America will resume,” he said. 

In June 2023, Pakistan secured a $3 billion a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Greek startup airline plans to link Athens to Aegean islands with helicopters听

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2024-07-03

In a letter to Khan Murtaza, the director general of Pakistan CAA, seen by local media on January 4, 2022, ICAO revealed conclusions of its 10-day safety audit, conducted in December 2021.  

The authority confirmed that its validation committee reviewed the action taken by Pakistan to address the Significant Safety Concern (SCC).  

鈥淚 wish to refer to the Significant Safety Concern (SSC/PEL-01/09-2020/PAK refers) that was issued to Pakistan on 18 September 2020 as well as the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) audit that was conducted by an ICAO team in Pakistan from 29 November to 10 December 2021,鈥� the letter reads. 

The letter continues 鈥淒uring the audit, the committee reviewed the corrective actions taken and related evidence presented by Pakistan to address the SSC regarding the licensing system of the State, specifically in relation to the examinations conducted by the CAA and by delegated or designated training organizations prior to the issuance of licenses and ratings.鈥� 

The ICAO determined that actions taken by Pakistan精东影业 CAA have successfully resolved the issued SCC.  

The letter concludes as follows: 鈥淚n accordance with the USOAP SSC process, […] the ICAO SSC Validation Committee reviewed the actions and relevant evidence validated in Pakistan. The Committee determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC.鈥� 

Having passed the ICAO safety audit and resolved concerns that arose from the pilot license scandal, Pakistan CAA has raised new hopes for state-registered airlines about a possibility of regaining permission for flight operations to the United States, the United Kingdom, and European countries.  

The pilot license scandal erupted following Pakistan CAA精东影业 investigation where the local aviation body suspected that 262 out of 860 active Pakistani pilots had cheated during mandatory pilot exams and did not attend not actually attend them. This alarming information followed the preliminary report into the PK8303 crash, where the flight crew and the air traffic controllers were blamed for the accident, which killed 97 people on May 22, 2020. 

After alarming report, PIA takes action on 鈥渇ake pilot licenses鈥�

• Airlines

byClement Charpentreau

2020-10-22

In September 2020, the ICAO advised Pakistan to take immediate action and to stop issuing any new pilot licenses following the scandal. 

What do we know about Pakistan International Airlines crash?

• Aviation Safety

byClement Charpentreau

2020-10-22

Passenger flight PK9753 took off from Islamabad International Airport (ISB), Pakistan on December 17, 2021.  It was en route to Riyadh, King Khaled International Airport (RUH) in Saudi Arabia. 

The pilots turned back to Pakistan when the aircraft was cruising at 36,000ft in the Iranian Airspace, near Zahedan, Radarbox.com data shows. The aircraft landed in Karachi Jinnah International Airport (KHI), Pakistan.

The reason for the U-turn was the discovery of cracks on the cockpit window, Aviation Herald reports. The cracks were found on the side window of the cockpit. 

The aircraft involved in the incident is the airline精东影业 Boeing 777-200, registered as AP-BHX. The widebody is 14 years old and was delivered to PIA in March 2007, planespotter.net data shows. 

Following an inspection in Karachi, the aircraft side window was replaced and the aircraft continued the journey to Riyadh, local press reported. Flight tracking websites show the AP-BHX making a KHI-RUH flight later on the same day. 

Earlier the same week, on December 12, 2021, another PIA flight originating from ISB was involved in an incident. The flight to Karachi was diverted twice reportedly due to a technical issue with an Airbus A320 engine. After the second return to Islamabad, all but six passengers reportedly refused to continue with the journey. 

PIA Airbus A320 diverts to Islamabad following reports of technical faults

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2021-12-13

The national air carrier of Pakistan warned its employees that it will charge unvaccinated staff  a fine of around $4 each day, while other employees, including airline officers, would be fined $7 per day, the local media reported.

The air carrier requested  staff to get vaccinated against the virus by August 13, 2021, to escape daily fines. 

The measure was taken while observing continuously growing rates of COVID-19 infection in Pakistan. According to the National Institute of Health data, half of the daily positive cases in the country are caused by the new strain. 

As of August 10, 2021, the country reported 4,856 new virus cases and 81 new deaths per day bringing the total number of infected people to 1,08 million with 24,085 deaths.

Seraph Aviation Group also revealed the deal is part of PIA精东影业 open tender for eight A320s, for which the air carrier received nearly 130 bids. 

鈥淲e are delighted to have secured a contract for two A320-200s with Pakistan International Airlines. […] We look forward to delivering both aircraft in the coming months and to commencing a long and positive relationship with Pakistan International Airways,鈥� David Butler, the CEO of Seraph Aviation Group was quoted in the statement.

Pakistan International Airlines eyes aircraft fleet revamp

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2021-06-09

The news regarding the tender for two Airbus narrow-bodies came weeks later after the airline announced its aggressive growth-based strategy. On June 8, 2021, the government-owned air carrier revealed its plan to gradually revamp its aging aircraft fleet by inducting a non-specified number of narrow-body planes. 

As for June 2021, the air carrier operates 3 ATR 42s, a single ATR 72 turboprop as well as 11 Airbus A320-200 narrow-bodies, 8 Boeing 777-200s, and 4 Boeing 777-300ER jets, the Planespotters.com data shows.

Speaking in a live session held on the official Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) social media on June 8, 2021, Chief Executive Officer Arshad Malik hinted that the air carrier planned to implement its new business plan during the next three months. 

The plan consists of a few strategic moves, including the airline精东影业 fleet renewal and the network expansion as well as the resumption of commercial operations to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom (UK), and Canada.

Malik said that PIA will renew the fleet with new narrow-body jets and will return three other ATR 72 aircraft, 鈥渨hich had been acquired many years ago on an expensive lease鈥�.

Although the head of the company did not provide any more specific details on the exact type or quantity of jets that are expected to fly under the air carrier精东影业 registration, Malik outlined that arriving planes will be equipped with 鈥渦p-to-date entertainment systems鈥�.

PIA operates a fleet of 27 planes,  an average age of 14.8 years. Currently, the airline flies 3 ATR 42s, a single ATR 72 turboprop as well as 11 Airbus A320-200 narrow-bodies, 8 Boeing 777-200s, and 4 Boeing 777-300ER jets, Planespotters.net data shows. 

PIA already canceled another lease agreement for 4 ATR 72 aircraft in December 2020, arguing that operational costs of the planes were high and their operations were non-profitable. All 4 ATR 72 turboprops capable of flying 66 passengers had been acquired on a dry lease agreement in 2015. However, the airline said it was unable to return the planes earlier due to high cash penalties. It managed to return turboprops only after long negotiations with the lessor company.

PIA sets new rules for crew: passports held, mobility restricted

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2021-02-02