After a two-year lease dispute that left 2 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planes stranded in Jakarta, Indonesia, the national carrier has successfully retrieved one of the grounded aircraft.
The Airbus A320 made its return to Pakistan from Jakarta via Bangkok at 10:30 pm on Tuesday.
Senior officials from PIA management were present to receive the aircraft, marking its reintegration into the PIA fleet. Another Airbus A320, currently stranded in Indonesia, is anticipated to return to Pakistan within the next few days.
The addition of the Airbus A320 to PIA’s flight roster brings the total number of Airbus aircraft in the fleet to 16. Notably, PIA has settled a $26 million payment to the leasing company, resolving the longstanding lease dispute that led to the planes being grounded in Indonesia.
In October of this year, a high-level delegation from PIA, headed by the aviation secretary, engaged in discussions with the leasing company in Malaysia to address the lease dispute.
The spokesperson revealed that the national flag carrier had two Airbus 320 planes parked in Jakarta since September 2021, and the resolution involved the airline purchasing the aircraft for a sum of $30 million, earmarked for necessary overhauls.
