Ex-COO involved in selling PIA plane hasn’t returned to Pakistan

KARACHI: The former chief operating officer (COO) of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Bernd Hildenbrand, who is sought by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for suspicion of involvement in selling a PIA plane, has not returned Pakistan even after several months, ARY News reported.

The German national is suspected of financial embezzlement and selling A-310 aircraft to a German company.

Airbus-310 of the PIA, which was parked in an abandoned condition at Leipzig airport for months, has been sold in Germany.

According to sources, the aircraft was sold in two parts. The engine and other internal instruments of the plane were sold to an international company for over $10 millions, they said.

While the external body of the aircraft was sold to a museum for nearly 1, 30,000 euros, the sources added.

Read More: CAA seeks clarification over security clearance of PIA’s German COO

Few months earlier, with the permission of a German national, Bernd Hildenbrand, the plane was brought to Germany for a controversial movie shoot. Since then the aircraft was parked at Leipzig airport.

The PIA had appointed the foreigner COO for several months who allegedly did not possess required educational skills.

In May 2016, a PIA spokesperson had told that Bernd had been hired on the basis of technical qualification in the field of aviation and diversified experience of airline industry.