ABU DHABI // Pakistan International Airlines has denied reports that its flights to the UAE have been halted because of a lack of new air safety equipment.
Pakistani media reported that UAE aviation authorities had stopped flights by the carrier because its aircraft had not been fitted with the latest airborne collision-avoidance systems (Acas).
The reports said the International Air Transport Association had imposed the restrictions on all international airlines that lacked the air-safety measures.
The collision-avoidance systems, which operate independently of ground-based equipment and air traffic control, warn pilots of threats posed by aircraft that are near their plane.
Danyal Gilani, a spokesman for PIA, said Iata had imposed the restrictions, but most of the airline’s fleet had the new warning system. “All Boeing 777s and Airbus A320s in our fleet already have the new Acas version installed,” he said.
The carrier said all but six of its aircraft were equipped with Acas. “To avoid any possible disruption, PIA is currently using only upgraded planes in the UAE sector,” it said, adding that there had been no changes to its flight schedules.
Zamrad Khan, 40, a Pakistani accountant who lives in Dubai, had put his travel plans on hold after hearing about the media reports. “My family and I were planning a holiday to our hometown Peshawar during the December break. But when we heard the news, I postponed my plans,” Mr Khan said.
The rumours, he said, caused panic among Pakistani expatriates in the UAE because PIA offers the lowest fares home.
“I know there are many families like mine who cancelled their plans rather than flying with an expensive airline,” he said.
PIA operates 35 flights a week from Dubai and 21 flights from Abu Dhabi to many cities in Pakistan.
akhaishgi@thenational.ae