December 23 , 2016
News
PIA aircraft sold for peanuts to German museum
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday held a board meeting to discuss the case of the Airbus 310 aircraft which was sold to a museum in Germany for only Rs 5 million. Independent estimates suggested that even a wrecked aircraft of this model would cost over Rs 8 million.During the meeting, it was decided that discrepancies in the sale of aircraft would be investigated.
The participants of the meeting were briefed about how the aircraft had been handed over to the German museum without having received any payment. Participants were of the view that the aircraft which should have sold for millions was instead sold for peanuts.
This issue has also been raised in the Senate before the PIA board meeting.
A board member on condition of anonymity told media that one such aircraft was given to an Israeli firm for a film shooting without any permission from the government. The member added that the film crew had not even paid PIA for use of the aircraft.
The source informed that the aircraft was used in the Israeli film and then sold to a German museum on the orders of its German CEO Bernd Hildenbrand.
PIA officials on condition of anonymity claimed that this board meeting was just a move to ward off pressure at the moment.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk