Islamabad: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has grounded two of its Boeing 777 Long-Range (LR) aircraft, forcing the national flag carrier to suspend most of its Toronto operations from September 13 to 27, officials confirmed.
Currently, PIA is flying with 17 aircraft out of its 33-strong fleet — including five Boeing 777s, 10 Airbus A320s, and two ATRs — while the remainder are temporarily out of service, either in permanent storage or awaiting spares or termed beyond economic repair.
PIA spokesperson, Abdullah H. Khan has said that the grounding was due to mandatory technical requirements. One aircraft, AP-BGY, required a landing gear shipset replacement after its cycle life expired. “The new landing gear shipment will arrive in next couple of days and it will take about three weeks to service the aircraft,” the spokesperson explained.
PIA cites regulatory compliance and safety checks as reasons for temporary suspension of Canada flights
The second 777, AP-BGZ, the aircraft that once held the world record for the longest nonstop flight, is also undergoing major maintenance and modifications to make most of the serviceable life left in it.
The spokesperson also confirmed that PIA had sought a waiver from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to continue operating the aircraft, as per the provisioning allowed in the aircraft serviceability manual, while awaiting the new landing gears. However, the regulator turned it down because Boeing did not issue a No Technical Objection (NTO) in time.
The unavailability of the two long-range jets has directly hit PIA’s long-haul network. From September 13 to 27, all Toronto flights have been cancelled, with thousand of passengers getting affected by these. One of the affected passengers, while speaking to the Newsman termed the cancellations as disappointing and lacking proper planning by the PIA Management, saying that people are missing out on their important commitments, marriage ceremonies and universities. Even if the airline compensates in full, alternative arrangement are too expensive to afford.
Officials acknowledged the inconvenience caused to passengers but stressed the necessity of the grounding. “Safety comes first,” the spokesperson said. “Once the aircraft return, passengers will benefit from improved cabins as well as full compliance with safety standards. Meanwhile we are accommodating the affected passengers on next available flights as per the options given to the guests. They also have the option of getting full refund without any charges”, he added.
