Airmale From Botswana, joined Sep 2004, 368 posts, RR: 2 Posted (10 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 663 times:
PK are taking aboard nine female Air Marshalls alongside their male counter parts, photos of the women training with the men in complete unisex military uniforms were printed in the leading english dailies of the country, no protests so far from religious zealots.
In other news PIA seem to have completed the purchase of the six 743's from Cathay Pacific, I wonder when B-HON will arrive from California, will it already wear PIA's colours or be painted here or in China? two domestic routes Gwadar and Turbat, coastal towns in Balochistan province bordering Iran have been upgraded from F27 to 737-300 and the Karachi-Quetta(domestic) route also in Balochistan has been upgraded from 737 to A300.
Bravo45 From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 2165 posts, RR: 12 Reply 1, posted (10 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 629 times:
I personally don't think there will EVER be any protests from religious zealots. Well its another fact if because of them many people start attempting to hijack airplanes:D
As far as the Cathay Pacific 743's are concerned, wasn't that only a lease deal?? 5 of them AP-BFU, BFV, BFW, BFX and BFY are in service and their lease is ending soon.( I am not sure when)
The lease deal consisted of a price that PIA could pay should it shoose to keep the aircrafts after the end of the lease. As far as I would say is that it was another of the corrupted deals. Nodoubt these are beauties but when taking them, certain things need to be taken into consideration. There are three major powerplant manufacturers in the world, P&W, GE and Rolls Royce. PIA have complete maintainence and overhauling plants of the two of the P&W and GE. PIA's aircrafts are therefore bought with that in mind so as to be able to maintain the aircraft themselves. These Cathay Pacific birds came with Rolls Royce engines, something PIA should never have taken in the first place, now that it did, PIA had to pay for ALL the bills that they took. Also I think that in the deal, it was agreed that the maintainence of the aircraft will be done by Cathay and paid by PIA (something like this if not exactly this).
Last year we landed at Manchester onboard AP-BFU and Cathay's crew came onboard for something (might be inspections of some sort). I don't call it lease, it felt like being borrowed.
Bravo45 From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 2165 posts, RR: 12 Reply 2, posted (10 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 622 times:
I also heard the upgrading of certain routes. Also included Lahore-Islamabad making it to I think 4 737 flights daily. I was amazed because the route almost dried up by the motorway, must have been ( I hope) an increase of traffic there.
Ex_SQer From United States of America, joined Apr 2002, 1435 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (10 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 616 times:
Hmmm, female marshals? A few years ago at Manchester a PIA captain refused to deal with a female dispatcher assigned to the flight and he demanded a male one instead.
Airmale From Botswana, joined Sep 2004, 368 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (10 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 586 times:
The 743 lease agreement expires in 2006 as it was re-signed for another five year period, but can be terminated by PIA anywhere in between, under the new lease agreement PIA are now allowed full maintainence of the aircraft by themselves thus saving money. The original lease agreement was for two years from April 1999-April 2001 and CX were looking after the planes..
Bravo45 From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 2165 posts, RR: 12 Reply 5, posted (10 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 550 times:
Thanks for the update Airmale. I however wonder where would they maintain them?
Sponsor Message: 
From Botswana, joined Sep 2004, 368 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 2165 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
