Around 100 SriLankan Airlines crew, pilots, ground staff and engineers have been given Pakistan to operate the new Airbus handed over to PIA on wet lease, a senior state official disclosed.

It is not clear as to whether the PIA will operate the new Airbus leased out by SriLankan Airlines under PIA logo or as a joint service, he said adding that the aircraft will be operated for PIA by SriLankan crew and it will be based in London.

The all maintenance of the Air craft will be carried out by SriLankan engineers.          
“It will fly to Islamabad and Lahore and we are also in talks to give them three more Airbus A330 planes,” he said.

SriLankan, which has incurred losses of US $993 million, plans to scrap several European flights in the coming months and is looking for an equity partner to revive the business.

However informed sources said that the PIA is also a loss making airline and it is planning to privatise the entity.

The cash strapped PIA has stepped into lease out a SriLankan Airlines Air bus to fulfill a pledge given by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff to his Sri Lankan counterpart ranil Wickremasinghe during his tour of Sri Lanka several months ago.

PIA Premier Service is scheduled to be launched on August 14, initially only to London.

PIA is going through a procedure of privatisation to shift management from government to the private sector. It employed nearly 14,000 people as of annual report 2015 and the airline has an overall punctuality of 88%. PIA operates scheduled services to 70 domestic destinations and 34 international destinations in 27 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.