PIA board approves Boeing leases for European flights

Pakistan International Airlines' board has approved taking two Boeing 777 aircraft on a six-month wet lease from Norse Atlantic and acquiring three more planes on dry lease, as the carrier moves to rebuild its European and United Kingdom operations, sources told ARY News.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the airline's new owners at PIA's Islamabad head office, where financial and operational matters were also discussed, the outlet reported. The board directed that procurement of spare parts for PIA aircraft be expedited, and reviewed the airline's financial affairs and revival, the sources said.

The leased Boeing aircraft will be used for flights to Europe and the United Kingdom, according to the sources.

The approvals follow PIA's announcement that it will raise its London schedule from four weekly flights to seven from October 27. A spokesperson for the carrier said five weekly flights will connect Islamabad with London and two will connect Lahore with London. PIA currently operates four flights a week to London, and the increase will provide daily connectivity between Pakistan and the British capital, the airline said.

The airline said the expansion reflects strong passenger confidence and growing demand on Pakistan-UK routes. It follows the return of landing slots at London Heathrow Airport that had previously been allocated to foreign airlines. The recovery of these slots has enabled PIA to increase its flight operations between Pakistan and London.

Additional flights are expected to benefit overseas Pakistanis and other travellers by offering more travel options and improved connectivity, the carrier said. The airline added that the increased frequency would strengthen PIA's presence on one of its key international routes.

Separately, the finance ministry said Boeing was revising an aircraft proposal for Pakistan's national carrier, Arab News reported. The report did not provide further details about the proposal or the lease agreements. It was not immediately clear whether the revised Boeing proposal was connected to the board-approved leases.