Four foreign airlines have refused to give aircraft to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on ‘wet lease’ because of security reasons.
The airlines of Eastern Europe and Central Asia had shown interest in providing four aircraft to the PIA when it floated a tender in early June. But after the attack on Karachi airport and firing at a PIA plane in Peshawar, they have withdrawn the offer.
Under a wet lease agreement, an airline provides aircraft, pilots and cabin crew and maintenance and insurance, while under the dry lease the airline provides only aircraft.
With a total 25 planes in its fleet, PIA has reduced seven flights on Dubai route, one each on Manchester, Barcelona, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Abu-Dhabi and Kuwait and remaining on domestic routes.
