Pakistan International Airlines

[tleeds]

Thank you very much Aroosh for clearing all of that up!

On your last point though, you would be surprised! Even this summer; La Rochelle, Toulouse as well as Funchal (Maderia) are all operated once a week, normally on a Saturday with Funchal only operating on a Monday. They are fairly quiet routes, although you could say it doesn't help that there is only one flight per week.

This does happen at other Jet2 bases as well..

 

[LeedsPilot]

Thanks for the information aroosh. I would think the next realistic step for the airport now is to re-instate the thrice weekly A310 service if a twice weekly B772 is not an option, and as you say, that option is more likely to attract additional passengers to the route.

Jet2 being a regional LCC, has many more options with rerouting flights and much higher frequency than PIA. Im sure even Jet2, after reducing their flights does not have a single weekly service to any destination.

Jet2 do have some routes which are once weekly but these are all holiday destinations where all passengers want to go for 1/2/3 weeks.

 

[Moo2009]

aroosh

I know you fly the A310 but do you fly the Triple 7 at all. Do you have any information when PIA plan to bring the Triple 7 into LBA

 

[Aviador]

Do you have any information when PIA plan to bring the Triple 7 into LBA

jonathan3515, I think you may find the answer to your question in one of the previous pages of this thread.

 

[White Heather]

Personally, I would love to see something like the 777 at LBA, but in my view this is not particularly important. What IS important is that PIA stick with LBA and if that is using the A310 then that is great. It would be good news if there are no plans to get rid of them as that would quite likely result in the loss of the LBA route, when what we need are more flights - either a 3rd rotation back on Islamabad or a new route to Lahore, which is after all, a route that has already been operated from LBA and at that time, with excellent loads using a 767 of Swedair. The airline going bust was nothing to do with the LBA route being a failure and it was, I believe, one of their most successful routes.

We can only hope that when the A310's do cease operations, that by then PIA have a more flexible fleet and have something available that enables the LBA route to continue. What we don't want is that they go back to the policy of switching everything over to MAN and expecting the Yorkshire passengers to head over the hill to catch the flight. We had that before, and it was only the success of the Shaheen operation that led them to LBA in the first place. There are worrying signs that perhaps, they are now considering reverting to MAN only now that the 'opposition' has been removed. That would be a real shame.

Aroosh, your information on this thread has been invaluable and informative, but perhaps you are not aware of the difficulty that passengers sometimes face in getting over the Pennines into Manchester, particularly in the winter months when the weather is poor. It may only be 65 miles from Leeds, but that can, and often does, prove a distance which is difficult to cover without delays and the risk of a missed flight. The weather over the top can be horrendous in winter.

 

[User0001]

Hi all,
Im a first officer on the A310, which as you all know, flies into LBA. Ive seen some really nice shots on A.net and was wondering if there would be anyone spotting this weekend, saturday the 6th of aug 2011, for the PIA flight departure? Im going to be flying the aircraft out on saturday evening and would love to get a few pics, maybe some nice closeups of the cockpit, if possible. Id love to put up a sign or appropriate greeting message to group up that would make a nice picture. I Can be contacted on [email protected]

Take off video from 6th August
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvh7CGUXZ-U[/video]

 

[aroosh]

Brilliant. Looks even better from outside.
The departure time is ideal for photography thanks to the golden hour that it coincides with.
Anyone with some closeup cockpit shots, Id love to see those. I had a nice hello sign up in the window.
Thanks LS16
I look forward to the next visit.

 

[Jordan-34092]

Rumor has it that PIA may be re introducing a 3rd weekly flight from LBA to ISB, more than likely on a Monday again, has anyone heard of this?

 

[Jordan-34092]

rumour has it that PIA may be re introducing a 3rd weekly flight from LBA to ISB, more than likely on a Monday again, has anyone heard of this?

Infact scrap that , it seems after may next year you can't book direct flights from LBA to ISB, again, what is seriously going on, you think that they would allow you to book a year in advance, or does it look like that what happened at Glasgow is going to happen at Leeds/Bradford?

 

[tleeds]

Well on the PIA website, I can book a flight all the way up to the 7th July 2012. Thats good enough forward booking if you ask me...

 

[lbaspotter]

I have heard a new rumour today that Friday September 9th 2011 maybe the day that a PIA Boeing 777-200ER or LR turns up at LBA.

It its thought that the aircraft will position empty in and back out of Manchester. There are 2X B777-200 that could do this. The first that could make the visit is the aircraft that operates the Lahore PK709/710 service which arrives into MAN at 14:40 and departs back out at 17:00. The 2nd option could be the aircraft that operates the Islamabad PK701/702 service which arrives into MAN at 18:25 and departs back out at 21:00.

As like before I'm not 100% this will happen as nothing has been confirmed. So just watch this space i guess.

 

[Aviador]

Hi LBAspotter,

I'd heard similar but I've lost count how many times we've been in this position before. I guess eventually the rumour will be right. I haven't checked but I understand the airport fire service has been informed that cat 9 will be shortly be required which if true will give this rumour more weight over the previous rumours.

 

[michael]

hello LBASpotter and Aviador, good to know the rumours are circulating again, , but it's as I said weeks ago it would make sense to bring in an empty aircraft first from MAN for a 'test run'

 

[Jordan-34092]

I will believe it when i see it. No point in getting our hopes up about the 777 coming to LBA, like before, unless it is actually on approach to the runway.

 

[pilot_737]

Im guessing if this test flight does occur there will be a significant delay to the outbound Manchester flight! No way could it unload, 'play' around at LBA, then load up and get airbourne within 2.5 hrs!
Maybe the flight will divert and operate to/from LBA?

 

[Aviador]

I will believe it when i see it. No point in getting our hopes up about the 777 coming to LBA, like before, unless it is actually on approach to the runway.

I would tend to agree with your sentiments. These days I think it's just a case of reporting the rumours as one day it might be true.

This isn't the first time I've posted this...

MATILDA told such Dreadful Lies,
It made one Gasp and Stretch one's Eyes;
Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth,
Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth,
Attempted to Believe Matilda:
The effort very nearly killed her,
And would have done so, had not She
Discovered this Infirmity.
For once, towards the Close of Day,
Matilda, growing tired of play,
And finding she was left alone,
Went tiptoe to the Telephone
And summoned the Immediate Aid
Of London's Noble Fire-Brigade.
Within an hour the Gallant Band
Were pouring in on every hand,
From Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow.
With Courage high and Hearts a-glow,
They galloped, roaring through the Town,
'Matilda's House is Burning Down!'
Inspired by British Cheers and Loud
Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,
They ran their ladders through a score
Of windows on the Ball Room Floor;
And took Peculiar Pains to Souse
The Pictures up and down the House,
Until Matilda's Aunt succeeded
In showing them they were not needed;
And even then she had to pay
To get the Men to go away!

It happened that a few Weeks later
Her Aunt was off to the Theatre
To see that Interesting Play
The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.
She had refused to take her Niece
To hear this Entertaining Piece:
A Deprivation Just and Wise
To Punish her for Telling Lies.
That Night a Fire did break out--
You should have heard Matilda Shout!
You should have heard her Scream and Bawl,
And throw the window up and call
To People passing in the Street--
(The rapidly increasing Heat
Encouraging her to obtain
Their confidence) -- but all in vain!
For every time she shouted 'Fire!'
They only answered 'Little Liar!'
And therefore when her Aunt returned,
Matilda, and the House, were Burned.

 

[Bigman]

...otherwise known as crying wolf. I too will only believe it if I see it. This is now getting as bad as the Jet2 767 rumour which is doing the rounds again.

 

[Jordan-34092]

[offtopic]Higher Chance of Jet2 getting the 767 though [/offtopic]

 

[Bigman]

or, dare I say, BMI coming back with a LHR service.

 

[aroosh]

In my experience PIA doesnt do "test runs" with empty aircraft. They operate to some rather unusual airports (particularly for UN charters etc) but they never do test flights, particularly if it involves delaying a scheduled flights.