Pakistan International Airlines

[Hassaan]

PIA first visited Birmingham with a 747 on September 3, 1999 to celebrate BHX's 60th anniversary (I think). They started flights in April 2000 with a twice-weekly service to Pakistan via Copenhagen with B747's (due to runway limitations at BHX). A third daily service was added in December 2000. In June 2001, Airbus A310's began to be used making the flight direct, and a new LHE-BHX-YYZ and KHE-ISB-BHX-YYZ was added. Around that time 747's were occasionally used. This made 6 weekly flights into BHX. In May 2003, a new route KHE-ISB-BHX-ORD was launched, along with the existing YYZ route. Both routes were axed in March 2004 and moved to Manchester, and BHX was left with a couple of weekly flights from Islamabad with Airbus A310's. In July 2007, after A310's were banned from the EU, 777 began operating into BHX as that was the only aircraft allowed from PIA in the EU. The service went to three weekly, and a fourth weekly flight was added in 2009. Occasionally, the fourth weekly flight has been stopped and resumed for a while in the winter times.

What future expansion could we be getting from PIA?

 

[Aviador]

PIA is currently undergoing a restructure. Many flights to mainland Europe and American have been scrapped. The airlines has done a deal with Turkish Airlines to operate those flights via Istanbul to Pakistan with Turkish Airlines. At the moment the UK operation is largely unaffected but this could change over the course of the summer. Hopefully the airline will keep hold of the UK operation although the introduction of Turkish Airlines could see more opportunities in the future.

 

[Hassaan]

Airblue starting (whenever that'll be) should provide it some competition.

 

[Brum X]

There has been no communication from Air Blue about starting services from BHX.

 

[Hassaan]

Now there has been!

Load figures are pretty standard at around 80% I believe. I'm not sure if they warrant an extension, such as a service to Karachi. They even did Peshawar for a while in 2004.

 

[Ray Finkle]

When they were using the A310 I think they may have also served Quetta for a short time?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Slight change to the winter schedule, the Tuesday service is now down for a 772. So the winter schedule will be Sat, Sun & Tue a 772 and Thurs remains a 773. Of course anything can, and often does, turn up.

 

[Hassaan]

When they were using the A310 I think they may have also served Quetta for a short time?

Don't think so. They don't seem to have ever operated out of Pakistan from there.

I would assume that PIA are dropping a weekly flight for a while when the Hajj season kicks in. It makes you wonder if PIA will ever expand out of BHX, or the loads just don't warrant it.

 

[Ray Finkle]

It's usually the Sunday flight that stops for a few weeks. As for expansion I reckon the arrival of Air Blue will make it very unlikely, if anything I think it may be Air Blue expanding in the future.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Looking on the PIA website at various dates right up until next July it appears that the removal of the Sunday flight is now permanent. The schedule now shows 3x weekly with Sat & Tue a 772 and Thurs a 773.

Air Blue having an effect before they've even started?

 

[Hassaan]

Loads and yields mustn't be very good I assume.

 

[Hassaan]

Does anyone know how PIA has been performing loads-wise since Airblue came along?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Whilst not spectacular I think loads aren't too bad but don't forget we're one 773 per week down now.

 

[Brum X]

Well just looked on PIA Website and there is a sunday flight this Sunday 24th November ???? Looks like its been re-instated ????

 

[Ray Finkle]

Only had a quick look for Feb but it does appear to be bookable again.

 

[User0001]

As I mentioned on another forum, the 4th flight was announced on September 24th to start this sunday. Flight went on sale beginning of October.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Thanks, must have missed that one.

 

[Hassaan]

I thought the fourth flight would have been re-instated quite soon after the Hajj season. Is this all PIA are going to offer out of BHX for now?

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm not sure we'll see expansion anytime soon but it would be nice for them to restart a weekly Lahore.

 

[Hassaan]

I think it's all down to profitability really, their decisions on whether to expand the route or not.