PIA’s Operational Struggles: Aging Fleet and Critical Component Shortages

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is facing a severe crisis, with half of its fleet of 34 aircraft currently grounded due to the lack of essential parts and components.

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According to the Indian press, among the affected aircraft, seven of the 12 Boeing 777s and seven of the 17 Airbus A320s are out of service. The airline’s small ATR fleet is also under pressure, with only two of five aircraft in operation, reported Aeroin.

The lack of critical parts such as engines, landing gear, and auxiliary power units (APU) is the main reason for the grounding. PIA sources indicate that the shortage of funds and the absence of proper agreements by the relevant ministries are the primary causes of this components deficit.

Operational efficiency affected

This situation severely impacts the operational efficiency of PIA, which is attempting to resume flights to Europe on January 10 after a four-year ban. However, the current situation could cause delays in planning the resumption of services, initially scheduled with two weekly flights to Paris.

This is not the airline’s only concern. The lack of components further complicates the privatization process of the state-owned company, whose commission had been trying to sell 60% of the shares to private investors.

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Earlier this year, the privatization attempt failed, attracting only one bid of 10 billion PKR, far below the reserve price, which led to the proposal’s rejection and the decision to hold a new bidding round.

Symbol of national pride

PIA, launched in the 1960s as a symbol of national pride, has struggled for years with mismanagement, political interference, and overstaffing, accumulating debts of around $3 billion.

Last year, the company reported losses of $270 million. Additionally, the aging of its fleet is also a persistent issue, causing flight cancellations and rescheduling due to debts owed to the state-owned oil company, Pakistan State Oil.