PIA to aquire three A-330s from Sri Lanka on wet lease

Pakistan’s national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday, formally signed a lease contract of three A-330 aircraft from Sri Lankan Airlines.

The contract was signed by PIA CEO Bernd Hildenbrand, Sri Lankan Airlines chairman Ajith Dias and CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte, during a ceremony held in Colombo today, a press release issued by the national airline read.

“The contract has materialised after a series of negotiations between the two sides. The first aircraft will be delivered during the next week, while the rest in following months.”

The press release also stated that the Airbus A330 planes are in ‘brand new’ condition and will be used for PIA’s premier service for its passengers, thus allowing PIA to start regaining its market share.

The premier service is set to launch on August 14 and will initially only operate in London. According to the statement, there will be six weekly premier service flights to London, including three from Islamabad and three from Lahore. Later, with an addition of more planes, the service will be expanded to other destinations as well.

Earlier, during an interview, PIA chairman Azam Sehgal said, “The premium service will better facilitate our customers.”