Ual747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1387 times:
Old News:
Pakistan plans to buy four Boeing 777-200ER costing between $160.5 to $182.0 million per plane, depending on configuration, and will pay over $700 million. The Boeing is suffering from recession in airline industry and layed off tens of thousands of workers. Pakistan is losing $2 billion in trade due to war in Afghanistan. US has to give Pakistan more trade concession so that we can export our products and buy US products.
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KARACHI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - State-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Tuesday it was holding talks with the U.S. Ex-Im Bank to buy four new Boeing (NYSE:BA - news) 777 passenger aircraft.
``We have proposed to buy four Boeing 777 aircraft and the proposal is being processed by Ex-Im Bank,'' Imran Gardezi, the airline's general manager for media affairs, told Reuters from Islamabad.
Gardezi said the management had decided in August to buy new aircraft ``as and when the balance sheet will be clean'' but after getting positive signals from the finance ministry on support from the U.S. Bank, PIA had accelerated aircraft buying plans.
``This proposal was given to us by the Finance Ministry, and after initial talks with Ex-Im Bank, the airline's chief operating officer submitted the proposal to the bank last weekend,'' he added.
Pakistan has become eligible for finance from the U.S. Ex-Im Bank after Washington in September lifted sanctions imposed for Islamabad's 1998 nuclear weapons tests.
Gardezi said PIA would seek bank loans to finance the purchase, after getting clearance from Ex-Im Bank, which he expected in November or December.
PIA currently operates an ageing fleet which includes five Boeing 747-300s, three Boeing 747-200s, seven Boeing 737-300s, nine Airbus [ARBU.UL] A300-B4s, six Airbus A310-300s and 11 Fokker F27s.
Gardezi said the decision to purchase new aircraft was taken to upgrade the ageing fleet and that the Boeing 777 met PIA requirements.
``It (Boeing 777) is considered to be the latest and most fuel efficient ... The decision is to equip the airline with state-of-the-art aircraft,'' he added.
The airline lost 2.3 billion rupees ($35.9 million) in the first six months of the current calendar year and its accumulated losses stand at 11 billion rupees.
The carrier lost 3.3 billion rupees in 2000 and has heavy liabilities estimated to be worth at least 24 billion rupees.
The airline struck a deal in July with a consortium of five local banks for bridge financing worth 4.73 billion rupees under six-month terms of two percent above the central bank's discount rate, which currently stands at 10 percent.
PIA, Pakistan's dominant airline, has 22,000 employees and is slated for privatisation in the next 18 months.
The airline said earlier this month that in the wake of the deadly September 11 suicide attacks on the United States, PIA had cut 15 percent of its flights but marked a 30 percent growth in cargo traffic after foreign carriers suspended Pakistan operations.
PIA shares on the main Karachi Stock Exchange gained 10 paisas on Tuesday to close at 3.55 rupees.
Yyz717 From Canada, joined Sep 2001, 15989 posts, RR: 59 Reply 3, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1285 times:
Indianguy, this is the civil avaition forum. India & Pakistan both receive $B in aid from the West. nuf said.
Pakistan was instrumental in helping the US in the war. It's own natural that loan guarantees or other forms of assistance are available. PIA is in a good posn to strike a good deal for these 4 772's. This will establish the 772 as the flagship aircraft in the PIA fleet and indeed the fleet will likely grow to 10+ in the next 5 years or so as the 742/743 fleet is replaced.
Panam, TWA, Ansett, Eastern.......AC next? Might be good for Canada.
Aviatsiya From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 5 days ago) and read 1259 times:
UAL747
US$2 billion in trade? That is almost 25% of their exports. Where did you get that figure from, as 25% is equivalent to the percentage of their exports which goes to America.
Or are you talking about the Afghan heroin and hash which goes thru Pakistan on its way to markets overseas.
Ba777-236 From Canada, joined Oct 2001, 673 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1112 times:
I would love to see the 777 (my favorite plane) in the PIA colors. But just two questions, 1. When might these planes be in service? and 2. Does anyone think that PIA will use the new 777 for the Toronto route?
Thanks,
Ba777-236
I like British Airways! I'm not sure why, but I do! ;-)
Yyz717 From Canada, joined Sep 2001, 15989 posts, RR: 59 Reply 11, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1023 times:
I thought PIA had 8 742's still in service. 2 bought new (w GE engines), 2 ex-TAP, 4 ex-CP Air. The above news release said only 3. What happened to the other 5 742's? Scrapped? Removed from service?
Panam, TWA, Ansett, Eastern.......AC next? Might be good for Canada.
GF-A330 From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2001, 1643 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (11 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1008 times:
Yes, your right.
PIA have 8 742's of these 6 are in operation. The other two 742's are currently parked at Karachi Airport. They are reported to have corrosion on tail end, which do not make them airworthy (AP-BCL and AP-BCN)
The 6 742's currently in operation are:
Boeing 747-240 BM GE engines
AP-BAT (22yrs)
AP-BAK (23yrs)
Still very much an integral part of the fleet. Used mainly for flights to JFK, MAN and DXB.
Boeing 747-217 B
AP-BCO (28yrs)
AP-BCM (29yrs)
Used for flights to Pearson, Manchester and LHR.
Boeing 747-282 B
AP-AYV (28yrs)
AP-AYW (27yrs)
Boeing 747-282 B just commenced operations again, recently, for domestic flights (KHI-ISB) .Most probably going to be used for the Haj operation as well.
As you can see, PIA have an ageing fleet which lingers them till date. Only with the acquisition of new economical aircraft can PIA revamp its sagging image. PIA have the capacity, they can fill the seats. It is the problem of the shortage of planes which lets them down. Which is why, they have to turn to there old 747's to meet those extra loads/traffic.
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