PETALING JAYA: Malaysian authorities seized a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft at KLIA after the airline failed to settle a US$4 million (RM18.4 million) debt.
This was the second time the Boeing 777 aircraft was seized over a lease dispute, Samaa TV, a Pakistani satellite news channel, reported.
The aircraft, which had been acquired by PIA on lease from Malaysia, was ordered to be stopped by a court following a request of the lessor.
Last year, a PIA aircraft with 170 passengers on board was held back at KLIA, over a legal dispute in a UK court involving the airline and another party over non-payment.
The leasing company had hauled PIA to court in 2020 over its failure to pay fees totalling US$14 million.
The aircraft was later released following diplomatic assurances regarding the lease.