Malaysian authorities seize PIA aircraft on Court order
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane was held back in Malaysia as part of a legal dispute between the airline and another party, the national flag carrier said on Friday.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the airline said: “A PIA aircraft has been held back by a local court in Malaysia; taking a one-sided decision pertaining to a legal dispute between PIA and another party pending in a UK court.
“The passengers are being looked after and alternate arrangements for their travel have been finalized,” the statement said.
“It is an unacceptable situation and PIA has engaged support from the government of Pakistan to take up this matter using diplomatic channels.”
Commenting on the legal dispute; PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that it was a “payment dispute between us and the party Perigreen”; that had been filed in the UK courts about six months ago.
The spokesperson refused to give further details on the dispute; adding that the Malaysian court took an “ex-parte decision causing inconvenience to the passengers who had already boarded the plane”.
According to orders passed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday seen by Reuters; the plaintiff of the case is Peregrine Aviation Charlie Limited and the matter pertains to two jets leased to PIA by Dublin-based AerCap; the world’s largest aircraft lessor, in 2015.
They are part of a portfolio that AerCap sold to Peregrine Aviation Co Ltd; an investment unit of NCB Capital, the brokerage arm of National Commercial Bank SJSC, in 2018.
According to the interim injunction, PIA is restrained from moving two aircraft in its fleet; a Boeing 777- 200ER with serial number 32716 and a Boeing 777- 200ER with serial number 32717; once they have landed or parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport; until a further hearing on the matter later this month.
Tracking data from Flightradar24 showed only one of the two Boeing 777s covered by the court order is currently in Kuala Lumpur. The other was last recorded in Karachi last month. AerCap, which continued as part of the agreement to provide lease management services to Peregrine, declined to comment.
It is an unacceptable situation and PIA has engaged the support from Government of Pakistan to take up this matter using diplomatic channels
— PIA (@Official_PIA) January 15, 2021
