Leeds Bradford: Pakistan International Airlines

[pilot_737]

Yes that is a 737-800 aviador.
TK operate 320s,321s,330s,340s,737-7/800s,777s - all which could op to LBA!

A340? pilot_ben...

maybe not that one! 😀

 

[Bigman]

Would THY want to come to LBA? They happily work into MAN and they could put larger aircraft on the IST-MAN to cope woth the extra demand. Hopefully PIA will get them to operate to LBA as part of any deal. I personally think that the 737/800 would be ideal. Anyone know what configuration THY operate their aircraft in? I would guess at about 160/170 seats.

What no-one has mooted is the idea that maybe another operator might see the departure of PIA as an opportunity, ie Air Blue.

 

[Aviador]

What no-one has mooted is the idea that maybe another operator might see the departure of PIA as an opportunity, ie Air Blue.

PIA hasn't said it is departing LBA. For the time being, UK flights remain unaffected.

 

[wawkrk]

Source:UK Airport-News

PIA axe Glasgow route, but could expand other UK services
13.01.11

Glasgow will lose its direct air link with Pakistan this month following a shake-up by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that could see it expand its other UK services, ABTN reports. The airline will axe its twice weekly Glasgow - Lahore route on January 22 following an appraisal of its loss-making operations in Europe.

Its decision to axe Glasgow is linked with competition from Emirates, which operates daily flights from Glasgow to Dubai with onward connections to Pakistan. A spokesman for the airline told ABTN that flights from Pakistan to Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford were profitable and could be expanded. PIA will also continue with its Manchester - New York route.

The spokesman said: ‘In the UK there are no other closures apart from Glasgow. Glasgow did not meet its operating costs, we tried to linger for a year, but it did not improve.’ He added that any expansion on UK routes would be in time for the summer timetable, which starts at the end of March.

wawkrk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Very encouraging news for LBA. The rumours put around on a certain well-known aviation message board about the LBA service being switched to MAN are clearly very wide of the mark.

It's always a problem with rumours trying to work out whether they have legs or, as is often the case on aviation message boards, are started by people who would like to see certain things happen but their claims are actually baseless.

 

[White Heather]

I agree that is really encouraging news, and perhaps our discussions last week about PIA maybe operating Lahore from LBA could happen one day. Or, will they possibly go back to 3 weekly to Islamabad? Personally I would prefer 2 a week to Islamabad and even just 1 to Lahore would be good. Then there is Karachi!

 

[The Pole]

Good news that LBA will retain and hopefully expand the PIA operations, but its going to be late tonight! 20.00hrs

 

[Seasider]

Is it now time to operate the B777 and carry on to Lahore on the two days? The extra capacity being taken on to Lahore initially, to see if there is a need for a direct service in the near future. That could solve the problem of filling the extra capacity of the B777 in the first instant, later when the "economy" picks up, it could go direct.

 

[ryan]

Very encouraging news for LBA. The rumours put around on a certain well-known aviation message board about the LBA service being switched to MAN are clearly very wide of the mark.

A press release saying that LBA is doing well means nothing, and is just PR blurb. For example, easyJet themselves said they were very happy at DSA, and even the regional manager for the North (or whatever his job title was) was on video saying they are currently drawing up plans for DSA and hope to expand in the future. We all know what happened there!

 

[pug]

A press release saying that LBA is doing well means nothing, and is just PR blurb. For example, easyJet themselves said they were very happy at DSA, and even the regional manager for the North (or whatever his job title was) was on video saying they are currently drawing up plans for DSA and hope to expand in the future. We all know what happened there!

The press release (if its the one ive read) said that GLA would be dropped but they would concentrate on their more profitable routes like LBA, so a bit different from the bog standard PR spin.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I see where ryan is coming from - I go on incessantly about airlines and airports being masters of spin (more accomplished than politicians on occasions) - but on this occasion the airline has gone in for specifics, saying why Glasgow was dropped, and adding the other UK routes including LBA are profitable.

On that basis I certainly do not retract my earlier comment that the news is very encouraging for LBA - and for the other UK airports apart from Glasgow for that matter.

 

[lbaspotter]

Good news that LBA will retain and hopefully expand the PIA operations, but its going to be late tonight! 20.00hrs

PIA Flight PK775 departed on time from Islamabad and is been operated by Airbus A310-300 AP-BEB this evening.

Something has either happened to the aircraft and its gone tech en-route over Turkey or it might have had to emergency landing. Either way it diverted into Istanbul earlier
Anyway it's now took-off again and is on her way again to LBA. She is due here now at 21:55.

Can anyone confirm Whats happened to her to have to divert into Istanbul en-route to LBA?

 

[lbaspotter]

And here is the reason for yesterdays delayed PIA service.

Due to Strong Head winds the flying time had increased, so yesterday’s PIA775 service was close to Nine hours flying time between Islamabad and Leeds direct hence the fuel stop enroute.

Making matters worse are the Russians have limited PIA usage of there airspace. So with a full payload the aircraft had to make a refuelling stop ay Istanbul otherwise they would have had to offload some of the payload to make it direct.

There was a technical problem with the aircraft which delayed the flight even more.

 

[dan77]

is tommorrows pia a Boeing 777 into lba?

 

[Aviador]

is tommorrows pia a Boeing 777 into lba?

Why do you say that?

 

[ls27]

At the moment it's showing an A310 on thw ISB board

 

[lbaspotter]

At the moment it's showing an A310 on thw ISB board

Hi

Tonights PIA775 service from Islamabad is been operated by A310, AP-BGO. She is currently over Holland and is due here at 17:45.

If i'm correct I think this is also the first vist of this said PIA aircraft since they started operations out off LBA

 

[Aviador]

I have read in several places that March is the next date when the airline re examines it's route network. Things could go either way for the ISB route from LBA. The airline has been savage with routes to mainland Europe and North America. As for LBA I think the airline will keep things as they are so long as the route is generating healthy passenger loads. It would be nice to see the airline fly to both Lahore and Karachi from LBA but I doubt we will see them with the way things are at the moment.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

Good news to report. The Managing Director of Pakistan International Airlines Capt. Aijaz Haroon has said today that the lt will continue to operate on all its major routes such as to, Leeds/Bradford.

See link for full details. http://app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option= ... 6&Itemid=2

What they have'nt mentioned in that press release is the fact that they have just increased the costs per flight by about and extra £100 per person.

 

[Aviador]

Another good find LBAspotter!!!

This is great news and it goes to show how important the Leeds Bradford route now is. I don't think they should increase the weekly rotations because it will dilute the route too much but a change of aircraft might become more viable/possible now.