White Heather said:
I don't know what the PIA was doing tonight but it just performed the weirdest take off on 14 I have seen since the Virgin 747 around 1985. It took off and immediately banked sharp right, passing directly over my house, which for those that know the area, is close to the playing fields at the top of Otley Old Road, Cookridge. It was as close to a 90 degree band to starboard as you could do in a wide body airliner. LBA ATC will NOT be happy as this take off was about as far off the departure routing as its possible to get! Perhaps now they are leaving PIA are happy to disregard the required routes, which if so is naughty - but I certainly enjoyed seeing it climb overhead. Being a mile East of the flight path, it was a first!

The early Left hand turn made by the PIA A310 this evening may have been for weather avoidance. I understand there is some thunderstorm activity the area so the turn will have been coordinated with Leeds/Bradford ATC and Scottish ATCC.
 
Yes you are right. There was no sign of anything at the time, which is 30 minutes ago, but it is now thundering here, so I guess the storm cell was somewhere to the south east of Leeds and heading this way. Still, very spectacular!
 
White Heather said:
Yes you are right. There was no sign of anything at the time, which is 30 minutes ago, but it is now thundering here, so I guess the storm cell was somewhere to the south east of Leeds and heading this way. Still, very spectacular!


image.php


It's moving towards the East from the West.
 
This has just been posted on Radio Sheffield twitter feed:-
'Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood Airport says it's considering operating a route to Pakistan after PIA pulled out of Leeds Bradford Airport.'

what's everyone's opinions?

How can an airport consider operating a route? Surely its an airline that considers this?!
 
Wishful thinking if you ask me, unless DSA is looking at going directly into the airline business, which will not end well either....
 
Shaheen originally said they were to operate from DSA to Islamabad, and ended up at LBA. Given that the only direct operator to Pakistan is PIA, who seem interested now only in flights from MAN, BHX and LHR, I can't see it - although they would, of course, have no problem using their 777's from DSA. Problem is, the largest population of Pakistani peoples are in West Yorkshire and if they can't fly from LBA, MAN is almost certain to be their next choice. I doubt a flight from DSA would last long.
 
Unbelievable.

After cutting the Business class cabin from the A310, then cutting LBA due to 'unsuitable aircraft' (ei A310 no longer to be used to Europe), a Pakistani news channel is reporting that the A310's will now have their business class cabin re-installed, and used on a ISB-FRA-AMS-ISB route.

Obviously left hand does not know what right hand is doing in that airline.
 
Well I was the first to bring the news of PIA pulling out, now I bring you a new story... as yet only rumour.

There is talk of a return!!

There are 2 sides to this rumour..

1 - is that the A310's allowed in the UK are going in for major checks meaning they will be AOG for a few months. This would quash the rumour that all the A310's are going imminently... however that would not make much sense since PIA are quoted as saying the aircraft is inefficient & making a loss on the Leeds route. So I would be very surprised to see them return later this year with the 310!

2 - a little more substance to this one. Due to the massive show of support for the link and appeal from LBA & Bradford area travel agents, they will be returning to Leeds but using A320 family equipment on lease. The aircraft will make an intermediate stop so my guess would be Turkey probably as its around the half way mark.

The source is from a person working/acting on behalf of PIA who said the information came from the airline itself... Well so did the 777 and we know how that turned out so lets just play it by here.

The A310, the delays and the recent press spotlight due to drunk pilots and drug smugglers all became a bit of a headache for Leeds Bradford but it did bring money to LBA, a scheduled long haul service and weekly wide body movement. It's a shame to see that go.

Seeing them back would be good and although it could just be an A320 at least we can say we have a weekly long haul scheduled route again.
 
Wouldn't it be easier for Turkish A/L to do a 2/3 weekly service from IST to connect with their Pakistan flights?
 
It would probably stand a better chance but it depends on whether Turkush have a desire to open an LBA route?
 
Turkish are the perfect fit for LBA but think they'll continue building up MAN in the near future.... 2 x A321 a day now with great loads I'm lead to believe!


:crazy:
 
How ironic that according to the CAA provisional stats. the last full month of the operation produced a very large increase in passenger numbers. The local community have clearly demonstrated support for the route and it will be interesting to see what (if anything) comes next.
 
Don't know if anybody else has noticed but Leeds Bradford is still in the drop down list of airports on the PIA website.
 
Lots of if's, but's and maybe's but PIA may be acquiring some A330's to replace the A310's, if circumstances permit. Is there a possibility one could be used into LBA in the future if they do get them?

Gardezi said the management was also planning to induct 10 Airbus A320 aircraft on a six-year dry lease. He said these would join the fleet in 2015. Gardezi said the airline would be operating 11 ATRs, 13 Airbus A320s, nine Boeing 777s and five Airbus A310 aircraft in 2015. He said the A310s would be replaced with state-of-the-art Airbus A330 aircraft if circumstances permitted.

Full article: http://tribune.com.pk/story/774171/pia- ... -aircraft/
 
Its unlikely PIA will be coming back to LBA.

Just last week, the chairman of PIA has said FRA/LBA/HKG/BCN are/were all lossmakers for them.

BCN will be the next route to close.

They have also said they are closing all offline offices, including Glasgow.
 
I would like to have thought that if anyone else had been interested in the route (ie Shaheen), they probably would have started by now.
 
user001 said:
Its unlikely PIA will be coming back to LBA.

Just last week, the chairman of PIA has said FRA/LBA/HKG/BCN are/were all lossmakers for them.

BCN will be the next route to close.

They have also said they are closing all offline offices, including Glasgow.


LBA was a loss maker because it was operated on the A310 which is well known to be inefficient and unreliable due to its age and thirst for kerosene. Passenger loadings were such that the use of a modern aircraft such as an A330 would turn a loss maker into profit, enabling more passengers per flight and lower operating costs. The route into LBA is suspended only at present and PIA have indicated to LBA that they will consider returning if/when they have what they consider to be suitable equipment for the route. Clearly they don't consider the 777 to be suitable despite previously announcing they were to use it. Personally I wouldn't take anything PIA say seriously - I am certain that LBA are trying to secure an operator for this route whether it be a return of PIA or another. It will be interesting to see how successful they are or whether a route to Pakistan is consigned to history.
 

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