Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) returned an Airbus-A330, a premier service aircraft, to Sri Lanka. This was taken on a six-month lease for $19 million in August 2016 along with two other planes.
SriLankan Airlines leased out the aircraft with the hopes of obtaining capital to run the debt-ridden national carrier. Danyal Gilani, the Spokesperson of the PIA, affirmed that the aircraft was leased at market rate.
The PIA decided to return the plane since the seat and load plan for London-bound flights were unprofitable. Statistically, such flights cost $ 8,000 per hour.
