ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday night, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) successfully recovered one of its two aircraft stranded in Indonesia, as an Airbus A320 bearing registration number AP-DLG landed at Islamabad International Airport.
The aircraft, carrying two pilots and a crew member, departed from Jakarta, refueled in Bangkok, and arrived in Islamabad around 10:45 pm. Senior officials from PIA management were present to receive the aircraft, which has now been reintegrated into the PIA fleet.
The second stranded aircraft, another Airbus A320, is anticipated to return to Pakistan within the next couple of weeks. To secure the release of one of the stranded planes, PIA had to make a payment of $26 million to the leasing company. A partial payment of $13 million was made, leading to the release of the recovered aircraft.
FBR Reverses Decision To Freeze PIA’s Bank Accounts Amidst Financial Turmoil
Earlier, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan withdrew its orders to freeze the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) bank accounts, clarifying that this action does not prevent the pursuit of recovery proceedings.
The FBR had frozen 28 PIA accounts amid the airline’s financial crisis. The Pakistan State Oil had also threatened to halt oil supply to PIA due to outstanding dues.
The withdrawal of the freeze comes while a team from the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is in Pakistan to assess flight safety issues. EASA had previously barred PIA from operating flights to Europe after a plane crash in Karachi in 2020, following claims by the former aviation minister that 40% of Pakistani pilots had questionable qualifications.
The FBR’s move to unfreeze the accounts is accompanied by the acknowledgment that recovery proceedings under Section 14(3) of the Federal Excise Act, 2005, could still be pursued. This section relates to the recovery of unpaid duty or erroneously refunded duty.
As PIA faces financial challenges, the government has announced plans for privatization and outsourcing of airport operations. The airline’s operations recently faced disruptions when the Pakistan State Oil cut fuel supply over unpaid dues, resulting in the cancellation of over 500 flights in two weeks. The government is now intensifying decisions regarding PIA’s future, including divestment processes.
