Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is the national flag carrier of Pakistan. With its primary hub at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the airline also operates from its secondary hubs at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore and at Islamabad International Airport. Until its privatization in 2025, the airline was managed and operated as a state-owned enterprise under Aviation Division of the federal Government of Pakistan.
Founded on 29 October 1946 by Miraza Ishpahani and Adamjee Dawood as Orient Airways, the airline was initially private entity and based in Calcutta in British India, before shifting operations to the newly independent state of Pakistan in August 1947. Soon, the Orient Airways was nationalized to form the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC).[2] The airline commenced international services in 1955 to London, via Cairo and Rome.[3] In 1964, it became the first non-Communist airline to fly to China.[4] PIA assisted in the establishment of Emirates in 1985 and became the launch customer of the Boeing 777-200LR in 2004.[5][6][7] On 10 November 2005, PIA completed the world's longest nonstop commercial passenger flight using a Boeing 777-200LR, flying eastbound from Hong Kong to London in 22 hours and 22 minutes.[8][9]
PIA is Pakistan's largest airline and operates a fleet of 32 aircraft, Mostly various Boeing 777 types, Airbus A320s and ATR aircraft. The airline operates a frequent flyer program, Awards +Plus. It is not part of any airline alliance. The airline operates nearly 50 flights daily, servicing 20 domestic destinations and 28 international destinations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. In addition to commercial flight operations, PIA also owns the Sofitel Paris, The Scribe Hotel in Paris,[10] and The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. The Roosevelt is now used as a homeless shelter.[11]
The Government of Pakistan's report in 2020 emphasised that after Air Marshals Nur Khan and Asghar Khan—whose tenures were regarded in aviation circles as the "Golden Age of PIA"—departed from their leadership roles, the airline began a downward trajectory, suffering billions in losses. Its assets declined, disciplinary issues escalated, and unions indirectly took control of management. Aircraft that were capable of flying were grounded, and repairable equipment was neglected.[12][13] From 30 June 2020 until 29 November 2024,[14] PIA was banned from flying in European airspace after EASA determined that the airline was not capable of certifying and overseeing its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards.[15][16] This decision, which was also implemented at various dates in other non-EU territories, was made soon after it was revealed that at least a fourth of all pilots' licences issued in Pakistan were not genuine.[17]
Following prolonged financial losses, governance issues, and international operational restrictions, Pakistan International Airlines was privatised in 2025, ending direct government ownership and transferring majority control to the private sector.
Early years
Pakistan International Airlines can trace its origins to the days when Pakistan had not gained independence and was still part of the British Raj until 1947. In the early 1930s, Imperial Airways operated its long-haul routes by creating a lot of small airports across Africa and Asia. The Handley Page H.P.42 aircraft was Imperial Airways' first major success, as it was specially designed to handle operations from unprepared ground.
In 1945, the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah recognised the need for a flag carrier for the future nation and sought financial help from wealthy businessmen Mirza Ahmad Ispahani and Adamjee Haji Dawood.[18] As a result, the new airline, Orient Airways, was registered in Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) on 23 October 1946.[18] Orient became the first and only Muslim-owned airline in the British Raj.[19][20]
Post-independence
On 14 August 1947, Pakistan gained independence and Orient Airways started relief operations for the new country. The airline was entrusted with the task of servicing air routes between East and West Pakistan.[18] By 1949, Orient acquired three Convair CV-240s to service the Karachi-Delhi-Kolkata-Dhaka route and became the first Asian airline to operate Convair aircraft.[18]
1950s
Orient's traffic continuously declined until 1953 as Great Britain's BOAC had been granted rights to carry passengers between the two wings of Pakistan, while two other local competitors also began serving Orient routes.[18] As a result of losses, the Pakistani government began subsidising Orient's operations through a 1952 contract for the purchase of three Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellations registered to the government's newly established subsidiary, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), at the cost of 25 million rupees.
Corporate management
Structure
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) is majority-owned by the Government of Pakistan (86%) while the remainder (14%) is owned by private shareholders. The airline is under the administration of Aviation Division and is managed by a president and chief executive officer as well as the board of directors.
The board consists of nine independent non-executive members and has four sub-committees: an Audit Committee, Brand and Advertising Committee, Finance Committee, and Human Resource Committee, each having its charter and chairman. The president and chief executive officer leads the executive management of staff who run the airline. The airline's main headquarters are located at Karachi,[113] while smaller subhead offices are located in several cities within Pakistan.
Seven of PIA's ten departments are in Islamabad, viz, Marketing Department, Procedure Bureau, Central Reservation Control, Revenue Management, HR and Security and Vigilance Department.[114] The remaining three departments are in Karachi, namely finance, engineering and situation room.[114]
PIA Holding Company Limited
PIA Holding Company Limited (PIAHCL) is a Government of Pakistan-owned public limited company headquartered in Islamabad. Established in March 2024, it serves as the parent entity for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and its various subsidiaries as part of a major state-led corporate restructuring and privatization plan.[146][147][148][149]
History
The company was incorporated on March 21, 2024, under the Companies Act, 2017. Its creation was a strategic move by the Caretaker Cabinet to split the functions of the national flag carrier into two distinct entities:
Destinations
As of November 2019, PIA serves 19 domestic and 28 international destinations in 20 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
PIA with its Interline agreements and codeshare partner airlines, offers a wider choice of travel in 102 international destinations in 40 countries across the world with different flight connections.
Fleet
Current fleet
As of February 2026, Pakistan International Airlines operates the following aircraft:[153]
Pakistan government’s condition was that the buyer have to add 38 aircraft to PIA fleet over the next four years, but according to new owner Arif Habib Consortium, PIA is going to have 38 aircraft in first phase & 65 aircraft in second phase over the next 4-6 years.[154]
Former fleet
Livery
In December 2003, PIA introduced a new image that was applied to its first Boeing 777-200ER and on two newly leased Airbus A310s, one of which was in service. The livery was white at the front and beige at the rear separated by a dark green stripe. The tail was painted white with a new typeface PIA acronym written in dark green. The Pakistan title was added to the front fuselage in all raised letters and the engine cowlings were painted in beige. The PIA logo written in calligraphic Urdu was added just behind the cockpit. However, due to criticism, the design was modified before the first Boeing 777 was delivered. The tail logo was replaced by a flowing Pakistan flag on a beige background. The "Pakistan" titles were removed and the PIA acronym was enlarged and moved onto the fuselage. The English and Urdu PIA titles remained the same. The leased A310s and most of the PIA fleet also adopted this livery at a later date.
In early 2006, the airline launched four new tail designs for its fleet. The tails represented the four provinces of Pakistan: Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The tails promoted the cultures of the four provinces of Pakistan by applying motifs to the tails and adding a city name to the rear of the fuselage corresponding to the province. The "Frontier" tail represented the "Phulkari" (flowering) pattern, which reflected a tradition of embroidery generally done on shawls, shirts, and linen. The "Punjab" tail was loosely related to the tile decoration of the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore. The "Balochistan" tail showed the creativity seen in the local kilims, carpets, and rugs woven with wool, goat or camel hair and mixed yarn. The pattern was mostly bold geometric motifs in primary colours dominated by red. The "Sindh" tail was influenced by the Hala tile work with electric blue and white floral patterns. In 2009, management stopped the application of provincial tails, deeming them too costly.
PIA launched its new livery in mid April 2010. An Airbus A310, Boeing 777–200 and Boeing 747–300 were the first aircraft to wear the new look.
Services
Catering
PIA Catering is the main supplier of meals for the airline at Islamabad and Karachi. It can produce 15,000 passenger meals each day. In 2006, the management of the flight kitchens was given to Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS). This agreement ended in 2011 and PIA is managing the Flight Kitchens in Karachi and Islamabad itself. As of April 2019, an MOU was signed between PIA and McDonald's for the airlines catering. PIA Catering provides special meals to allow for passengers' dietary and religious needs. No alcoholic beverages or pork are served on board due to Islamic dietary laws.[162]
PIA Premier service
PIA Premier was launched as a luxury air service on 14 August 2016. An Airbus A330 aircraft was initially wet-leased from SriLankan Airlines to operate the service.[62]
PIA Cargo
The PIA Cargo is a cargo airline branch that provides logistics services and delivery system within Pakistan and abroad. The PIA Cargo transports goods across Pakistan as well as to international destinations. These consumer goods include meat packing, vegetables, textiles, paper products, laboratory equipment, and postal mail.
During the early 1970s, PIA operated a service called Air Express that delivered documents and parcels within Pakistan. In 1974, PIA launched a dedicated cargo division within its organisation using two Boeing 707-320C. This division was known as Pakistan International Cargo. The airline operated several cargo flights to the Middle East such as Dubai and Europe, especially London. The operations ended in the late 1990s when both aircraft were phased out. During 2004 to 2007, the airline again operated two Airbus A300 Freighter aircraft chartered through MNG Airlines to Haan. Luton, Amsterdam, Basel and Cologne. However, again the contract ended and PIA discontinued this service.
In 2003, the airline launched PIA Speedex, a courier service initially in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. This expanded to twelve cities within a year. Today, the airline serves over 70 locations within Pakistan, with shipments collected and delivered from customers homes.
In 2019, the new PIA management experienced a sharp increase in the airline's cargo space utilisation, from 20 percent to almost 80 percent.[76]
Corporate sponsorship
The airline has sponsored events, both within Pakistan and in its overseas markets.
In the 1990s, the airline launched the three green stripe livery to represent its support for sports. The airline supports the Pakistan International Airlines first-class cricket team that plays in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and Patron's Trophy. PIA sponsors the PIA football club, and the A1 Team Pakistan in the A1 Grand Prix motorsports championship series of open-wheel auto racing series when it was initially launched. The airline also promotes the Shandur Polo Gala, that takes place every year in the Chitral and Gilgit regions of northern Pakistan during the summer period.[177] PIA has had its own sports division since 1958, promoting sports within Pakistan such as cricket, hockey, football, squash, polo, tennis, bridge, chess, table tennis, cycling, and bodybuilding.
PIA has its own Boy Scouts Association (PIA-BSA), working in partnership with Pakistan Boy Scouts Association. After a devastating earthquake in 2005, PIA-BSA worked in partnership with other charity organisations to provide relief help.
PIA was one of the official sponsors of the "Destination Pakistan 2007" festivals. The official logo was added to a select number of aircraft during the year.[178]
Charter and special services
State officials transportation
PIA has been continuously serving government officials of Pakistan and has always transported the President and Prime Minister on overseas visits. During the late 1990s, a PIA Boeing 737–300[185] was used for official visits by the Bhutto and Sharif governments. The aircraft wore official government colours but was later repainted in the airline official colours at the end of the decade. When the government changed after a military coup in 1999, the Boeing 737–300 was transferred to PIA permanently. The President and Prime Minister then resorted to using two of PIA's Airbus A310-300s for official visits, while rare trips were done on regular commercial flights of the airline. In February 2007 the government of Qatar gifted an Airbus A310 from its VIP fleet[186] to the Pakistani government; this ended the need for the use of PIA aircraft. However, from time to time the government uses one of the airline's Airbus A320s, or occasionally a Boeing 777, for official trips.[187]
Awards and recognition
On 27 September 2024, PIA received Pakistan's first National Tourism Award for Promoting Travel and Tourism. The award was given to PIA in recognition of its outstanding work promoting domestic travel. At Pakistan's First National Tourism Awards, organised by Discover Pakistan, Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, CEO of PIA, received the award.[188]
Accidents and incidents
The airline has lost more than 30 aircraft in crashes and other events, including 20 fatal crashes. There have also been at least eight hijacking incidents involving the airline's aircraft between 1971 and 2017.
- In October 1952, an Orient Airways flight carrying cargo from Karachi to Dacca crashed. One of three was killed in this crash.
- On Monday 3 August 1953, the Douglas DC-3 registered AP-AAD was operating on a hajj flight, carrying pilgrims from Karachi to Jeddah via Sharjah and Bahrain. The leg to Bahrain was to be flown by the first officer from the left-hand seat. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft entered a steep descending turn. The captain took over control but could not recover the aircraft. The Douglas DC-3 struck the ground. One of 25 was killed in this crash. "The accident resulted from the loss of control of the aircraft by the first officer shortly after taking off on a dark night when instrument flying was necessary. This loss of control was due to the inability of the first officer to fly on instruments. The responsibility for the accident is attributed to the captain for failing to supervise the piloting of the aircraft by the first officer."
- Pakistan International Airlines experienced its first recorded hull loss in 1956: a Douglas DC-3 flew into a mountain on 25 February while on a cargo flight from Gilgit to Rawalpindi in poor weather, killing the three crew members on board.[189]
See also
- List of airlines of Pakistan
- Transport in Pakistan
Bibliography
Further reading
- Jamall E., I remember:a mosaic of my memories of civil aviation, Aziz Memon, 2015
External links
References
- PIA Annual Report 2022 piac.com.pk, retrieved 26 November 2023^
- History – Pakistan International Airlines web.piac.com.pk, retrieved 7 November 2021^
- PIA history travels-agencies.com, retrieved 20 June 2016