The board of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has approved taking two Boeing 777 aircraft on wet lease, sources said. It is a major step in the national flag carrier's fleet expansion plans.

Board approves Boeing 777 wet lease

The decision came at a meeting of PIA's new owners at the airline's Islamabad head office. The meeting reviewed financial, administrative and operational matters. The two aircraft will be leased from European carrier Norse Atlantic for six months. They will be used on PIA's flights to Europe and the United Kingdom.

Three more aircraft on dry lease

The board also cleared three additional aircraft on dry lease. It directed management to speed up the purchase of spare parts for PIA's existing planes to improve flight operations.

PIA restructuring completed

Sources said PIA's restructuring was completed a day earlier, and a new organisational structure has been issued. The new management is reportedly moving quickly to improve the airline's performance and make its operations more efficient.

Bigger fleet planned

The new owners have reportedly planned to add a large number of aircraft to the fleet, and work on the plan is under way. The move comes as PIA prepares to raise its weekly flights to London to seven from October 27. Five of those will operate from Islamabad and two from Lahore. The airline currently flies four weekly services to the British capital.