Embarrassment for national airline as Malaysian authorities seize PIA plane

• The plane was seized after passengers had already boarded the aircraft.
  
•  The aircraft's 18-member staff is also stranded in Kuala Lumpur.
  
• According to sources, the plane was taken into custody for non-payment of aircraft lease dues.
  

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities on Friday seized a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing-777 at the Kuala Lumpur Airport on the orders of a local court.

The plane was seized after passengers had already boarded the aircraft.

According to sources,   the plane was taken into custody for non-payment of aircraft lease dues. The PIA had leased two aircraft, including the Boeing-777, from a Vietnamese company in 2015. 

 The aircraft's 18-member staff also become stranded in Kuala Lumpur due to the seizure, and will now quarantine for 14 days as per protocols, the sources disclosed.

On the other hand, the national flag carrier said that the PIA aircraft has been held back on the orders of a local court in Malaysia which, it argued, has taken a one-sided decision pertaining to a legal dispute between PIA and another party pending in a UK court.

"The passengers are being looked after and alternate arrangements for their travel have been finalised,"  PIA assured on its official Twitter account.

The national airline also said that it has engaged support from the government of Pakistan to take up this matter using diplomatic channels.