PIA's Boeing 737s 'overage and dangerous', NA told

Islamabad, Sept 8 (ANI) Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) Boeing 737 aircraft are "overage and dangerous", Pakistan's Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Tanvir Syed said. He added while the Airlines intended to replace them, their replacement "was being hindered".

He said these aircraft were not fit to fly and that all quarters of the administration had recommended their replacement.

"These ageing Boeing 737s are neither fit for flight nor fuel-friendly. The PIA Board has already indicated replacement of these aircrafts. My defence minister has also conveyed his concern to PIA ... and recommended their replacement," the Daily Times quoted Tanvir as saying while speaking in the National Assembly yesterday.

He added that long before the 'Fokker' air crash in Multan in July, he had told the House that the 'Fokker' aircraft in PIA's fleet were overage and dangerous, but his warning was ignored.

"We can only point out things and give our recommendations. It is the duty of the executives to implement them. Unfortunately our recommendations are not taken seriously. I cannot name names," Maj Syed added.

The paper quoted a PIA official as saying on the condition of anonymity that all the eight Boeing 737s the Airlines had were more than 20 years old.

Referring to an MNA's point that one of these Boeing planes had recently narrowly survived an accident, Maj Syed said that the minister had passed directives following the incident, but the department had failed to take "satisfactory measures". "The PIA chairman cannot be blamed for this because I know the inside story and his helplessness in front of his bosses," he said. (ANI)

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