PIA's first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner lands in Islamabad from London

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) received its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on Sunday, when the aircraft arrived at Islamabad International Airport on flight PK-786 from London Heathrow, The Express Tribune reported. PIA described the arrival as a milestone in its effort to modernise its fleet and widen its international network.

How the aircraft is being flown

The Dreamliner is leased from the Norwegian carrier Norse Atlantic Airways under an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) agreement, commonly called a wet lease. Norse provides the aircraft and its crew and stays responsible for maintenance and insurance. PIA’s chief executive, Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, and his team welcomed the aircraft at the airport.

In a statement, PIA said the Dreamliner “touches down in Islamabad, marking a significant milestone in our journey towards transformation”, and that it would bring “newer fleet and greater flying comfort & better experience” to passengers. The airline said it would strengthen PIA’s international operations and help air connectivity between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, giving overseas Pakistanis better travel facilities.

What was announced earlier

PIA signed the lease for two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Norse Atlantic last month, as we reported in PIA’s Dreamliner lease for UK flights. The new cabin crew uniforms by designer HSY were due to debut on this flight, as we reported in the HSY uniforms for the Dreamliner’s London flight.

“New aircraft are not enough”

The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) Pakistan welcomed the arrival as an important step towards the airline’s revival, but said that buying or leasing modern aircraft alone would not restore PIA’s standing. Service standards had to improve too, it said, with punctual flights, quality facilities, a modern booking system and better customer service, and the airline’s rebranding should come with real changes. The association congratulated the new chief executive and praised the outgoing CEO and his team. “The arrival of the Dreamliner marks a new beginning; the real goal is to restore PIA to its former glory,” it said. It also said financial discipline and profitable routes were key.

Background: new owners

In June the Arif Habib Consortium formally took over PIA’s management through PIA Equity Ltd after the privatisation was completed, according to the Tribune. The deal involved total investment commitments of Rs180 billion, including Rs125 billion in fresh capital for the airline and Rs55 billion payable to the government. The new management has named fleet renewal, route expansion and better service as its main areas for investment. A report we published in September noted that the government said it was not buying aircraft for the privatised airline; see the state’s position on PIA aircraft financing.

Why it matters

For passengers on the London route, a Dreamliner means a modern long-haul aircraft, and for PIA it is a visible sign that the new owners are spending money on the product. A wet lease, however, is a short-term fix: PIA does not own the aircraft, and the quality of the flight will depend partly on Norse’s crew and maintenance. The harder test is the one the AOOA names: whether flights leave on time, bookings work and complaints get answered. The next things to watch are how many weekly UK services PIA runs with the two aircraft, how the aircraft perform in service, and when the airline begins to add planes of its own.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune.