Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is considering leasing passenger planes and crew due to a looming European Union ban on more than three-quarters of its ageing fleet over safety concerns, PIA officials said. "We have been told that except for the PIA fleet’s seven Boeing 777s, all other planes will not be allowed to fly to the 27 countries in the EU bloc after March 8," PIA sources said, while terming the EU’s reported move as "shocking and confusing". Technical fitness of aircraft, airworthiness and other cabin specific issues were discussed in three days of talks between PIA and EU air safety officials that ended on Friday, PIA said. A foreign news agency had earlier reported that a committee had decided to block all but seven planes of the airline’s fleet from flying to Europe for failing to meet safety standards.

A PIA official who participated in the meetings with EU air safety experts, said the airline had expected its Airbus A-310 and Boeing 747-300 aircraft to escape the ban, and so the decisions had come as a shock. In consequence, PIA's seven new Boeing 777s will be used to the maximum on the European sector, and the airline is also considering leasing. "We can acquire new aircraft on wet lease similar to what we do every year for our haj (pilgrimage) operations," said the official, who requested anonymity. PIA faces a flood of demand every year from Muslims making the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Wet leasing is the term given to leasing the plane plus cockpit and cabin crew. PIA operates 16 flights a week to eight countries out of 27 in the EU bloc. Its most profitable routes were to the Middle East and Britain.

A Pakistani diplomat in Brussels said the airline was working to address the EU's concerns, which focused on maintenance problems and the airworthiness of old aircraft. Last year the Commission banned nearly 100 airlines from operating in the bloc, targeting mostly African carriers after a spate of fatal crashes involving European passengers. Nations like Russia and Bulgaria, who act first to ban specific airlines from flying to the EU are not placed on the EU's banned list. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in January, has suspended five carriers from flying to the rest of the bloc as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland until the companies achieve necessary safety standards. Those carriers are Air Sofia, Bright Aviation Services, Heli Air Services, Skorpion Air and Vega Airlines. The self-banning is becoming a popular alternative to being named and shamed by the EU blacklist.

The European Commission's decision was likely to take effect in about 9 to 12 days. Asked whether the airline would now subject its aircraft to the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft Program (SAFA), PIA said the EU decision had created a lot of confusion, therefore nothing could be said. PIA Chairman and CEO Tariq Kirmani could not be reached for comment. However losing European access to all but seven planes of the airline's roughly 40 aircraft fleet on safety and inadequate maintenance grounds will probably have both political and airline management repercussions.