Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has added a long-grounded ATR aircraft to its operational fleet, which will help strengthen PIA’s flights to destinations such as Gilgit, Sukkur, Turbat, and Gwadar, according to an official announcement made on Friday.

The development comes less than a week after the national airline added 11th Airbus 320, AP-BOM to its operational fleet with new engines, aiming to bring improvements to the national airline’s network and product quality.

“PIA’s operational fleet will also include the long-grounded Boeing 777 and ATR aircraft in the next few days. The fleet restoration will bring significant improvements to PIA’s network and product quality,” PIA spokesperson said in a statement then.

“The target for PIA’s on-time performance has been set at 90%, which the airline is successfully achieving on a daily basis,” added PIA’s CEO in the statement on Friday.

PIA has also recently introduced an in-flight internet system on domestic flights.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad last week, Minister for Privatisation Abdul Aleem Khan termed beginning of PIA flights to Europe “a very positive step” and “a significant milestone” for privatisation of PIA.

Earlier this month, PIA said it would resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier.

PIA’s authorisation to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.

“We have got approval for the first flight’s schedule we had filed,” PIA spokesperson said then, adding that the airline would be opening bookings on December 9 for its planned January 10 flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.

As per an estimate, the ban cost the loss-making airline 40 billion rupees ($144 million) annually in revenue.

Resumption of flights to Europe is also expected to help the Privatisation Commission make its PIA privatisation case stronger, which fell flat when it received only a single offer, well below its asking price.

In October, Blue World City consortium, the only entity to bid, refused to match the minimum expectation of the Privatisation Commission of Rs85.03 billion and stuck to its original offer of Rs10 billion for a 60% stake in PIA, ending the bidding process of the national flag carrier’s privatisation.

The government plans to initiate another process of PIA privatisation.

“The process for the privatisation of PIACL will be started afresh with the hiring of a new Financial Advisor,” an official at the Ministry of Privatisation Commission told Business Recorder earlier this month.