1stspotter From Netherlands, joined Jun 1999, 507 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 17494 times:
ISLAMABAD: Nearly half of the PIA fleet has been grounded because of poor maintenance of its old and outdated aircraft.
“The Pakistan International Airlines is facing grounding of highest ever number of 19 planes in its history,” a source told Dawn on Sunday.
Two PIA aircraft have been grounded after emergency landings in Leeds, UK, and Muscat recently.
But the PIA management termed the grounding of planes a ‘routine’ process of maintenance and repair. Its spokesman Mashhood Tajwar confirmed that 19 aircraft were not operational at present, but said they had not been grounded. “We have to differentiate between grounding of planes and their routine maintenance work,” he said.
emergency landing at Leeds is not correct: Should be Manchester. At Feb24 a PIA B777-200 diverted to Manchester because of gear door indication http://avherald.com/h?article=45e3f6f7&opt=0
B777LRF From Luxembourg, joined Nov 2008, 1015 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 17382 times:
Quoting 1stspotter (Thread starter): But the PIA management termed the grounding of planes a ‘routine’ process of maintenance and repair. Its spokesman Mashhood Tajwar confirmed that 19 aircraft were not operational at present, but said they had not been grounded. “We have to differentiate between grounding of planes and their routine maintenance work,” he said.
Dude, that's just as bad - if not worse. If your MX is planning is so poor as to leave half the fleet in need of simultaneous visits to the body of fender shop, you've got a problem. A massively big problem, but that's hardly a surprise given it's PIA we're talking about, whatever the actual problem or problems turn out to be. So pardon me for not being overwhelmed by an urge to say "yes, Mashhood is absolutely speaking the full truth". Rather, there's a word starting wiht B and ending in ollocks springing to mind.
From receips and radials over straight pipes to big fans - been there, done that, got the hearing defects to prove
BlueShamu330s From UK - England, joined Sep 2001, 2533 posts, RR: 24 Reply 2, posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 17110 times:
Quoting 1stspotter (Thread starter): emergency landing at Leeds is not correct: Should be Manchester. At Feb24 a PIA B777-200 diverted to Manchester because of gear door indication
Perhaps. However, the last PK bound for Leeds, an A310, left ISB 3 hours late on Saturday after a problem refuelling and with hydraulic issues. On turnaround at Leeds, it dumped Skydrol all over the apron and went tech until about an hour ago, departing some 18 hours late.
Not quite "grounded," but certainly significantly delayed.
Rgds
So I drive a 4x4. So what?! Tax the a$$ off me for it...oh, you already have... :-(
EK345 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 162 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 8785 times:
One has to appreciate the spin doctor's blatant denial of the serious issues: "oh no, everything is fine. We intentionally scheduled half of our fleet for maintenance and didn't tell anyone of the MX schedule..."
PIA better get their act together. The first step in healing is admitting you have a problem.
RWA380 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2221 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 6534 times:
Quoting IAH59 (Reply 4): PIA has always had a history of poor maintenance
That is being kind, there are travel insurance companies that will not cover PIA flights, and I have worked at a couple of agencies that prohibited us from selling them due to safety issues for our customers. Of course there are some flights that you can't get unless you take PIA, then you take the flight or find another means of conveyance.
Next Flights: AS PDX-SAN-LIH on 739/738 in F, HA LIH-HNL-KOA-OGG on 717 in Y, AS OGG-PDX on 738 in F
na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9710 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 5203 times:
Quoting 1stspotter (Thread starter): But the PIA management termed the grounding of planes a ‘routine’ process of maintenance and repair. Its spokesman Mashhood Tajwar confirmed that 19 aircraft were not operational at present, but said they had not been grounded.
19 planes out of 37 are not flying, sure Mr. Tajwar has to twist the truth a lot to be able to say they are in "process of maintenance".
So which planes are affected? All 737s likely are gone for good as they are being planned for retirement this year anyway. The most numerous type is the A310, sure some of those are not flying. I read two of the five 743s are in maintenence, and surely one or the other ATR and 777 are in "routine process of maintenance".
Seems this airline must be scrutinized more tighter, there are numerous issues, and they are already affecting the newest planes, the 777s.
leftyboarder From Turkey, joined Apr 2008, 656 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 4668 times:
Quoting IAH59 (Reply 4):
PIA has always had a history of poor maintenance hopefully the two private carriers Air Blue and Shaheen Airline can take over PIA.
Speaking of which, what was the final outcome of the Air Blue crash? Pilot error?
A country the size of Pakistan - 6th most populous in the world - should have at least one viable airline that can be trustingly used for travel.
777way From Pakistan, joined Dec 2005, 5288 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 3552 times:
Air Blue crash seems mysterious, from the bizzare detour the pilost took to the fact that even foreign investigators were not given access to certain stuff when they were invited to re0investigate as the initial investigation report by locals was deemed unsatisfactory with all blame on the captain.
Despite everything PIA is most trusted by all, including multinationals and other private concerns for their executive and staff travel, even the diplomatic community only fly PIA in Pakistan, all they need is better management and image, but political inductions have messed things badly.
mjabbasi From Pakistan, joined Nov 2007, 31 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (3 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1755 times:
A sad state of affairs for an airline that was at one time counted amongst the top 3 carriers in the world (by the American Travel Agents Association) with many 'firsts and other achievements':
First Asian airline to order and operate the Super Constellation.
First Asian airline to operate a jet aircraft i.e B707 in 1960.
First Asian airline to show inflight movies.
Set a speed record in 1962 with the delivery flight of a brand new Boeing 720B flying from London-Karachi in around 6 hours.
Provided technical assistance and helped set up airlines like SIA, JAT, Iran Air, Libyan Arab Airlines, Alia, Air Malta, CAAC, Egypt Air, Tarom, EAA, Saudia and Iraqi Airways.
Uniforms designed by Chausee Fortaignelle and Pierre Cardin.
First Asian airline to order and operate the 737-300.
The airline that was instrumental in the creation of Emirates.
Launch customer of the B777-200LR.
777way From Pakistan, joined Dec 2005, 5288 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (3 months 2 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1362 times:
Quoting mjabbasi (Reply 12): First Asian airline to order and operate the 737-300.
The airline that was instrumental in the creation of Emirates.
Launch customer of the B777-200LR.
These happened when they had become in inept company and were spiralling downwards.
the 777s came at the worst times for PK, just two 77L were ordered most likely under pressure who knows, no proper fleet or network planning for then or future prospects of adding more with new destinations as well, and they came out with the worst ever branding in PK's modern time history, what a shocker that tacky flag was, it did not even get the province tails even though they had just been introduced as replacement from the flag, Boeing's then new 787 house colours along with the light blue floral Sindh tail would have looked terrific on the first 77L, infact all that was needed was to apply the tail as the aircraft already was adorned in Boeing livery, no need to even introduce a special promo look, a concept probably unheard of in PIA, so the closest thing was that.
relatively unknown LCCs got to wear those Boeing colours on newly delivered 737NGs an aircraft thats been flying since the 1990s, as did the China Airlines 744 delievereed in 2005 or so, an aircrfat type that debuted in 1988, and here this supposedly historic new development wasnt even given a spot in the sun by the home crowd.
The 737 purchase was rumored to have been with kickbacks to the then MD an ex-Air Force man with very honourable family background, know them quite well, so much for that if true.
I'm sure they can set up a new airline even now if given the opportunity despite everything, is it really a big deal? Kashmirwala group have helped Eritrean airlines get back into the air seems like they did a great job, without ever having run an airline, great rebranding too from amateur look to professionally designed scheme.
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