News: EU places restrictions on PIA fleet
Flights > News > # 1210 (08/03/2007)
Heavy restrictions have been placed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) by the European Union because of safety fears over the carrier’s ageing fleet.
The EU has banned all PIA aircraft apart from its seven Boeing 777s. The EU's concerns focused on maintenance problems and old aircraft, specifically its Boeing 747s and Airbus 310s.
PIA was warned last year that most of its planes failed to meet international standards, although the state-run airline has said it will contest the EU's decision.
Meanwhile, Thai carrier Phuket Air has been given the green light to resume flights to the EU after it addressed safety concerns. Phuket Air ran into operational problems with its flights to the UK, at one point stranding passengers en route to London.
EC vice-president transport Jacques Barrot said: “The removal of Phuket Air from the blacklist shows that our list acts not only as essential protection against unsafe operations but also as a strong and effective incentive for companies who deviate from international safety norms to address their shortcomings.”
Ten carriers from Kyrgyzstan, Equatorial Guinea and Democratic Republic of Congo were added to the EC blacklist list and a partial ban on Sudan's Air West has been extended to cover its entire fleet.
Add to:
Related Airlines:
