Rawalpindi, 22 Aug, 2023 (GNP): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has grounded 11 airplanes together with its Boeing 777s because the national airline is going through a severe financial crisis as the rates of dollars are increasing regularly as well as a surge in prices of petroleum products.
As per the sources, the national flag carrier which manages about 30 airplanes, has been experiencing enormous challenges in acquiring spare parts for the past three years due to a shortage of funds and this is a prime cause of grounding 11 aircraft.
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PIA in the year 2020 grounded two of the three wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft and one in 2021. Five A320 aircraft had also been grounded, two in 2021 and three in 2023. The national airline grounded three ATR aircraft as well one each in 2020, 2022, and 2023 consecutively.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for PIA affirmed that 11 airplanes have been grounded because of the scarcity of funds to purchase spare parts as the national airline is undergoing serious financial hardships, along with dependency on foreign currency.
Moreover, a senior official of PIA stated that the national flag carrier squadron comprised 31 planes, and three of the 11 grounded planes Boeing 777, Airbus, and ATR are unable to be fixed due to the lack of engines and other key parts.
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Furthermore, he said that PIA is presently operating with the remaining 20 aircraft and the flight operations are executing as per the availability of aircraft. He also noted that the national airline will be short of planes if flights soared, specifically on international routes.
However, the official website of PIA currently shows its network stretch over Asia, Europe, and North America, covering almost 19 countries.
