PIA Airbus Case: Former CEO and Other Execs Won’t Appear for Inquiry

Remember the PIA plane (Airbus A-310) that somehow made its way to a German museum and was apparently being sold for dirt cheap?

Turns out that the personnel behind the issue won’t return to Pakistan any time soon.

The alleged perpetrators, including PIA’s former German CEO, have been using ploys to avoid appearing before the inquiry committee; which has put the case in jeopardy.

Originally a part of PIA’s fleet, the Airbus A310 was taken to Germany in 2016 in violation of the law, where it was sold to the Leipzig airport in Germany for 140 million Pakistani Rupees, according to sources, and the engine and body of the aircraft were sold to two different companies.

Since the aircraft left for Germany, the matter has been mired in controversy since the plane arrived there with the permission of Bernd Hildenbrand, PIA’s former chief executive officer. The former PIA CEO had an agreement to use the aircraft for film-making purposes with a foreign company.

At that time, from a technical standpoint, the aircraft had 25 hours of flying time remaining and the filming agreement was signed for 300,000 Euros. A part of the agreement was kept secret from everyone except the former CEO and the agreement was carried out through a middleman for an Israeli film.

The issue came into the limelight after pictures of the plane in the film went viral and the agreement was made public.

Furthermore, in violation of standard procedure, the aircraft was transferred to Germany and to make matters worse, PIA obtained another Airbus A330 on lease at a cost of 8,000 dollars per hour. This agreement was deemed controversial and Hildenbrand was held culpable for it. His name was included in the Exit Control List (ECL) but due to diplomatic pressure, he was allowed to leave Pakistan.

The former CEO has not returned since leaving for Germany on 6th May 2017. Furthermore, another German consultant is also under investigation. Allegedly, Schroder has already departed for his country without informing anyone and an allegation of aircraft theft has been filed against Bernd Hildenbrand in the National Assembly.

Sources have further said that Hildenbrand, after being approached for the investigation, has stated that he will respond through his lawyers, instead of returning to Pakistan.



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