Two PIA aircraft stranded
in Jakarta for two years
It has come to light that
two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft have been left stranded in
Jakarta, Indonesia, for a period of two years.
During the first year of
their parking in Jakarta, the airline incurred a loss of $7.2 million from the
monthly payment of $6 million for keeping the planes parked.
According to official
documents, one of the parked aircraft is an Airbus A320, which has been
stationed in Jakarta since September 2021. Despite making monthly payments of
$600,000, the planes were supposed to be brought back after 12 months following
maintenance. However, the maintenance officers responsible for these planes
continued to travel abroad at the government's expense, leading to substantial
financial losses for PIA.
Due to the negligence of
the officers, the planes could not be brought back within the designated 12
months. PIA officials have reported that the lessee has not been responsive,
while an audit has initiated a fact-finding inquiry into the matter and directed
for its prompt resolution. PIA has not provided any records regarding the plans
for repatriating the aircraft.
When approached for comment, the PIA spokesperson stated that the delay in returning the planes is attributed to technical and legal issues with the leasing company that owns them. PIA is currently in negotiations to purchase these two planes and reintegrate them into their fleet. The spokesperson assured that both aircraft will soon return to Pakistan once the purchase process is completed.
Source: Pakistan Today