PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad International) is planning to add widebody aircraft, which may include both A330 and B787 types in undisclosed variants.
"PIA would be looking at acquiring three wide body aircraft during the first quarter of 2023. The RFQ for that purpose will be floated within the next few weeks," spokesman Abdullah H. Khan told ch-aviation.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that PIA's widebody fleet comprises six B777-200ERs (17.5 years old on average), two B777-200(LR)s (17.3 years), and four B777-300(ER)s (14.7 years). The airline has an outstanding order for a further five B777-300(ER)s, which dates back to 2012, although it is highly questionable whether the aircraft will ever be taken up by PIA. The Pakistani flag carrier considered switching the B777 order to eight B787-9s in 2016. However, the order was never officially amended.
During a briefing with the carrier, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq instructed PIA to refurbish the cabins of the two B777-200(LR)s, which currently operate mainly to Toronto Pearson.
The airline said it is also planning to add a further two A320-200s in August 2022 to increase the type's fleet to 16 units. Five will also undergo cabin refurbishment.
Besides the B777s and A320s, PIA's fleet also includes four ATR42-500s and a single ATR72-500. The airline is also chartering an A330-200 from Jordan Aviation (R5, Amman Queen Alia) to operate flights to the European Union as PIA's own Third Country Operator authorisation was revoked over pilot licencing irregularities.
