PIA to Dry Lease Narrow-body and Turboprop Aircraft

[Sahil Ali]

PIA's newly inducted A320 AP-BLA getting the livery of 60's. All the credit goes to abbas bhai for behing the person behind this idea. Congratulations.

[Abbas Ali]

^ Very nice photos!

Thank you Sahil for sharing.

Abbas

[aviator773]

My God this is the best thing they have done for a long long time. Whether you look at it from a branding perspective or aviation enthusiasm, this is truly something which will get people who actually take interest in the aviation sector talking.
Congratulations Abbas bhai. I am happy not only because your suggestion was considered but because of the fact that people in PIA management take this forum seriously. Today we have truly witnessed how this forum has grown in to a platform where not only us enthusiasts can come together and discuss our passion but also make a difference.
This is something that Abbas bhai and each and every member of this forum should take pride in.

[aviator773]

Btw when is it expected to fly?

[Sameel]

This is absolutely brilliant! Great idea and well done Abbas Bhai.

[Abbas Ali]

^ Thank you guys.

Following photo shows Airbus A320-214 registration OK-MEI taxiing at Bournemouth Airport after arriving from Prague as ferry flight OK-9330 today.


OK-MEI. Airbus A320-214 : CSA Czech Airlines. by Tony Guest, on Flickr

This A320 will be painted in PIA livery at Bournemouth Airport by Airbourne Colours (airbournecolours.com) before delivery to the airline as AP-BLS.

Abbas

[747-300]

All credits goes to Abbas Ali for this amazing idea and Haider Haroon who shared this post to the awesome Shujaat Azeem.

[Abdullah]

I hope tomorrow this livery will be finalized, and aircraft will start operating it's scheduled flights.

[Vaqar Khan]

Well done Abbas! Credit where it is due and thank you for taking the enormous time and responsibility to run this wonderful forum. Hope one of the forthcoming wide bodies also gets this livery so we can see it in the UK, Europe and USA too!!

[Sahil Ali]

Totally loving the 60's livery on this bird.

[Abbas Ali]

Thank you Vaqar and 747-300 and also Haider Haroon for forwarding idea to Mr. Shujaat Azeem.

Totally loving the 60's livery on this bird.

PIA acronym font on tail should be italic like PIA seen in this photo.



Another example photo.



Abbas

[riz]

بہترین

[Moin]

This was definitely due to the efforts of my friend Mohd Haider Haroon who sent countless tweets to Shujaat Azeem and even showed me the communication between them both with SA acknowledging his suggestions which were forwarded to the management who decided to go for it. Aside from the incorrect 1980's font which I do not think will be changed now, the 60 years logo would look very nice on the engines as suggested to me by someone (it would also look very nice placed between the cockpit and L1/R1 doors) and my input would be to add 'A320' in red on the lower front fuselage where the previous Boeings had '707' and '720B' placed. Here are some more pics from 2 hours ago:

[Abbas Ali]

Not only incorrect font is used, the tiny stylised aircraft crossing PIA tail logo on starboard side is flying in wrong direction on this A320

Following photo shows direction of stylised aircraft crossing PIA logo on starboard side of Boeing 707 tail in 1960s livery.



Seems actual photos of PIA aircraft starboard and port side in 1960s livery not properly checked before painting the A320.

my input would be to add 'A320' in red on the lower front fuselage where the previous Boeings had '707' and '720B' placed.

Like on engines of 1960s livery, the engine covers of this A320 should not have any logo. The engines should be left simple in grey colour.

Aircraft model Boeing 707C and Boeing 720B were painted on Boeings in 1960s livery by Boeing Company. Other aircraft in PIA fleet at that time like for example Super Constellation and Vickers Viscount did not sport aircraft model name on fuselage in 1960s livery. So, I think PIA should not paint aircraft Airbus A320 model name where Boeing model name was painted in 1960s livery. However, a Boeing 777 painted in 1960s livery could have sported model name like 707s and 720Bs did.

There should also be black anti-dazzle paint below flight deck windows.

Abbas

[mamoon]

Congratulations Abbas bhai. It was a great move by the PIA management.