PIA to acquire two Boeing 767-300ER for Hajj operations

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has started negotiations with the Mega Maldive Airlines on a wet lease arrangement for acquiring two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft for the coming Hajj season.
According to the copy of the draft of agreement available with The News, (PIA) plans to acquire these Boeing 767-300ER aircraft on wet lease for two months period.The aircraft would be used for transporting passengers and cargo for a lease period, starting from August 10 for the first aircraft (8Q-MEE) and August 15 for the second aircraft (8Q-MEF) and ending on October 28 for both the aircraft. The lease is extendable.
The PIA would pay $5,780 per block hour, including per diem, during the lease period with 300 guaranteed block hours utilisation per month for each aircraft.PIA would also pay $52,000 on account of positioning and repositioning of both aircraft only once during the lease term.
A source said, “This is a strange decision because the PIA management had successfully completed the previous Hajj operations without taking any aircraft on lease, while the aircraft in question would not offer more seats than its own aircraft, ie, Boeing 747, which carries maximum 500 passengers in one trip in an all economy configuration, whereas Boeing 767 will offer only close to 290 seats.”
PIA will have to make the rental payments on bi-weekly basis. It would also provide and pay for the services that include fuel; landing and parking; in-flight catering and crew meals; ground handling during PIA operation; interior cleaning, toilets servicing, external washing and cabin fumigation; notice to airmen (NOTAMS); weather briefing and assistance for filing of flight plan; navigation and noise charges excluding any penalty due to violation thereof.
PIA would also bear all other associated passengers costs and airport expenses, including but not limited to catering, passenger oxygen bottles, handling, parking, Airport tax, apron bus, check-in counter; cargo luggage; mail insurance for the lease term; flight clearance; traffic rights; flight approvals; TA/DA of CAA (Pak) personnel for aircraft and crew clearance; communications by local telephone, fax, and e-mail for business matters.
MMA would provide PIA with five sets of cockpit crew and cabin crew (each set consisting of Captain, First Officer and Cabin Crews) per aircraft together with sufficient Ground Engineers / personnel to cover requirement of operation smoothly and efficiently. The main base of both the aircraft would be Karachi.