Pakistan International Airlines Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[User0001]

I notice tonights flight to ISB was operated by AP-BEQ, an A310. Low loads? Been a while since I have seen an A310 operate the BHX flight.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I think it must have been around 2005 since I can last recall a PIA A310. Loads are generally around the 70-75% mark although it could have been a one off low load, or possibly an operational issue.

 

[Hassaan]

I think operational issue. The last time a PIA A310 visited BHX was in 2007 (it was a few months after when 777's began operating).

 

[Hassaan]

I think PIA should have capitalised on the loss of Airblue with a Lahore flight - my thoughts anyway.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Well Air Blue had very impressive loads with most flights at 100% full and as much cargo as the runway at the time would allow the A343 to carry, all with very little impact to PIA, so it shows the potential is there. It would be interesting to know what the split between ISB and LHE was.

 

[Aviador]

PIA are splitting the load at LBA with the flight scheduled to go LBA-ISB-LHE. I guess the same could work from BHX too? I'm not sure how many people use the onward flight to Lahore but it's a good way to find out if there's a market there.

 

[Hassaan]

I think in the early noughties, PIA used to operate from LHE, to ISB (or was it directly to BHX?) and onwards to YYZ (2001 I think - on the A310). That lasted a couple of years - so I think it was only stopped because all the transatlantic flights had to move to MAN. I don't think the loads were that bad but I think it's worth a go. PIA's flights aren't often 100% full though, are they?

 

[Ray Finkle]

ISB is doing well, yields are said to be good, no immediate plans for expansion, in part due to lack of equipment but there may be something in the future. It appears Lahore isn't on the cards, apparently the Midlands Pakistani community is more for Islamabad and although loads were reasonable when LHE was served the yields were supposedly disastrous.

 

[Hassaan]

Equipment? Personally I thought PIA had many 777s in their fleet. What about Karachi? In fact I don't think they've ever done Karachi direct, but aside from that & Lahore I'm sure there are other cities in Pakistan for which there is demand for.

 

[Ray Finkle]

They have three 773's and four 772's (I won't include the two long range 772's as they very rarely visit BHX) so not a massive amount. The impression I got was that BHX is doing well but not spectacular, that the route is perfectly safe at the moment but not very top of the expansion priority list. There are five more 773's due from next year so maybe we'll see something then.

 

[Hassaan]

They have three 773's and four 772's (I won't include the two long range 772's as they very rarely visit BHX) so not a massive amount. The impression I got was that BHX is doing well but not spectacular, that the route is perfectly safe at the moment but not very top of the expansion priority list. There are five more 773's due from next year so maybe we'll see something then.

Were some of them phased out? The 777s were introduced about 10 years ago now so I'd have thought they'd have more. I suppose that's all they have as they wouldn't use the A310 to BHX, nor the 747 (in fact, I don't think they even have any left). If they're due more next year then it'll be interesting to see what they do. I don't think they are desperate to expand it yet though, unless people show more interest. Whether the runway extension does anything for that, we'll see.

 

[Ray Finkle]

More good news for BHX, PIA look to be down to three weekly with no Saturday flight bookable between now and May next year.

 

[User0001]

It seems the BHX aircraft now operates a new LHE-MAN-ISB flight on sundays, as that starts the same time the Saturday ISB-BHX finishes.

 

[Ray Finkle]

So, after losing Air Blue MAN immediately get to the negotiating table with PIA to plug the gap resulting in aircraft on the ground, whereas BHX twiddle their thumbs most likely debating yet another press release stating just how much demand there is from The Midlands Pakistani community with local businesses so desperate for more capacity and it's now time for the government to step in to stop the leakage to other airports and demand airlines fly to BHX, no matter what the cost!!!!!

 

[User0001]

whereas BHX twiddle their thumbs most likely debating yet another press release stating just how much demand there is from The Midlands Pakistani community with local businesses so desperate for more capacity and it's now time for the government to step in to stop the leakage to other airports and demand airlines fly to BHX, no matter what the cost!!!!!

You forgot the bit about where they state that they have the largest business passenger demand in the country, largest catchment and the obligatory 'None of this matters as we have the first direct charters to China outside London (which isn't actually true but hey ho).'

Like you say, talks the talk, but, unless they are calling everybodies bluff and announce something incredible when the China charter touches down.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Like you say, talks the talk, but, unless they are calling everybodies bluff and announce something incredible when the China charter touches down.

From the way BHX have been spouting off recently I'd expect Mr Kehoe stood in front of the China Southern A330 announcing some pretty spectacular thing(s), sadly though all I can see is the obligatory 'first UK links to Beijing outside London' 'only made possible by the runway extension' 'the Midlands is the only UK region to have a trade surplus with China'......blah blah blah. The media have that evenings headlines, the BHX team can go back to their offices patting each other on the back for a job well done meanwhile other UK airports can forge ahead with new routes leaving BHX, and more importantly the region, with no new services, but, we should think ourselves very lucky as with one connection we can reach Madrid in as little as seven hours and only just slightly less of cost of the price of my family car!!!

 

[Hassaan]

More good news for BHX, PIA look to be down to three weekly with no Saturday flight bookable between now and May next year.

Is that really good news, or is this sarcasm I've missed? 😆

 

[Ray Finkle]

A bit of sarcasm 😀 . PIA do seem to go hot and cold and one of the weekend flights seems to come and go with some regularity, the next few months is generally the low season so hopefully it'll be back on sale come the winter.

 

[Hassaan]

It just seems to be four weekly flights at the moment, sometimes three. Stagnation is the word.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The PIA website is showing BHX back up to three weekly from next weekend with the Sunday flight returning on 9th Nov. The schedule is bookable at 3x weekly right through to September but I wouldn't put it past PIA to either go back to 4x weekly or again to drop to 2x weekly at short notice.