Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines is the 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. PIA was under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation until its privatization in 2025.
Founded on 29 October 1946 by Mirza Ahmad Ispahani and Adamjee Haji Dawood as Orient Airways, the airline was initially based in Calcutta, British India, before shifting operations to the newly independent state of Pakistan in August 1947. Orient Airways was nationalised to form the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation. The airline commenced international services in 1955 to London, via Cairo and Rome. In 1964, it became the first non-Communist airline to fly to China. PIA assisted in the establishment of Emirates in 1985 and became the launch customer of the Boeing 777-200LR in 2004. 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.
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, and The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. The Roosevelt is now used as a homeless shelter.
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. From 30 June 2020 until 29 November 2024, 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. 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.
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. As a result, the new airline, Orient Airways, was registered in Kolkata on 23 October 1946. Orient became the first and only Muslim-owned airline in the British Raj.
In February 1947, the airline bought three Douglas DC-3 aircraft and obtained a licence to fly in May of the same year. The airline started its operations on 30 June 1947, offering services in British India from Calcutta to Sittwe and Rangoon.
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. 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.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. 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, at the cost of 25 million rupees. PIA had been established as a department of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority, and was tasked with operation and maintenance of the new Lockheed aircraft.Pakistan's government established the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation through the merger of Orient Airways with Pakistan International Airlines on 1 October 1953 by an interim joint operating agreement in which the government assumed financial control of the airline, while Orient's operations and ground assets could be complemented by the aircraft of Pakistan International Airlines – although Orient Airways continued to operate under its name for a few more years.
Pakistan's Ministry of Defence took over operations from the Civil Aviation Authority in early 1954, while the chairman of Orient Airways became the CEO of PIA, and foreign staff brought in to help relaunch the airline. On 7 June 1954, Orient Airways began nonstop flight services between East and West Pakistan, with service from Karachi to Dhaka using Pakistan International Airlines' Lockheed aircraft that had been ordered in 1952 and delivered in early 1954. The route was subsidised by the government so that middle-class Pakistanis could afford to fly the route, with rates that may have been the lowest in the world at the time. The airline also introduced two new domestic routes: Karachi–Lahore–Peshawar and Karachi–Quetta–Lahore.
On 11 March 1955, Orient Airways and Pakistan International Airlines were formally merged as part of the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Ordinance, 1955. Orient Airways ceased operations while the Government of Pakistan took a majority holding in the airline. The new PIA had a fleet of three L-I049C Super Constellations, two Convair CV-240s, and eleven DC-3s.
The newly relaunched airline also inaugurated its first international route, Karachi-London Heathrow Airport via Cairo and Rome, using the newly acquired Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellations. The airline continued using DC-3s on domestic routes in Pakistan. PIA carried 113,165 passengers in 1955 – 50% higher than in 1954.
In May 1956, PIA ordered five Vickers Viscount 815s. The airline also entered into a partnership with PanAm to train PIA's personnel in 1956. In 1957–1958, passenger numbers rose to 208,000, necessitating the purchase of two additional Lockheed Super Constellations. The appointment of Air Marshal Nur Khan as the managing director of PIA in 1959 heralded an era of success for PIA.
1960s
In February 1960, PIA wet-leased a Boeing 707 from Pan American Airlines and introduced it onto the Karachi-London route on 7 March 1960 initially using Pan Am pilots, thereby becoming the second Asian airline to induct and commercially operate a jet aircraft in its fleet after Air India. An all-Pakistani crew began operation of the 707 from 20 June 1960 onwards. By the end of 1960, PIA, for the first time, entered financial profitability.With the newly acquired aircraft, the airline introduced its first trans-Atlantic route Karachi-New York JFK via London Heathrow on 5 May 1961, which was suspended in February 1963. In 1961, it expanded its fleet by placing orders for 3 Boeing 720s, which were delivered in 1962. On 2 January 1962, a PIA Boeing 720B flown by Captain Abdullah Beg from London to Karachi established a world record for speed over a commercial airline route of 938.78 km/h, a record which still holds to this day. Fokker F27 Friendships, and Sikorsky helicopters were also ordered and delivered in 1963, with the helicopters used to provide air service to 20 towns in East Pakistan until 1966.
The helicopters were retired in 1966 and a reduced network of eight cities was served by Fokker F27 aircraft. Upon the establishment of ties between Pakistan and the People's Republic of China, PIA started flying the Dhaka-Guangzhou-Shanghai route on 29 April 1964, becoming the first airline of a non-communist country flying to the People's Republic of China. On 10 May 1964, PIA became the first non-Soviet airline offering flights to Europe via Moscow.
At the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Pakistani Armed Forces used PIA's services for logistics and transport purposes. The Viscounts were phased out in 1966 and were replaced by four Hawker Siddeley Tridents.
PIA's route network grew rapidly in the mid to late 1960s: Dhahran was added in 1962, while Cairo services resumed. In 1966, Paris, Istanbul, Baghdad, Kuwait, Jeddah and Nairobi were added to PIA's routes. Bangkok was added in 1967, while Manila, Tokyo, and Damascus were added in 1969.
During a news conference in Karachi on 11 May 1967, Air Marshal Asghar Khan announced that the airline had become the fifth largest profit-making airline in the world, carrying one million passengers annually. At a press conference held at the PIA headquarters in Karachi in July 1967, Asghar Khan announced plans for the construction of a series of small hotels in major cities and resort areas across the country, with a total investment of PKR 44.5 million. The project included building 64-room hotels in Sylhet, Sargodha, Sukkur, Mohenjo-daro, Chitral, Gilgit, and Kaptai, and 88-room hotels in Khulna, Lyallpur, Multan, and Murree, with an additional 20 cottages attached to the new 644 room Kaptai Hotel. Furthermore, Peshawar and Chittagong will each have hotels with 125 rooms.
These establishments are designed to be European-style motels equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, heating, parking facilities, and swimming pools. The cost of rooms would range from twenty to thirty Pakistani rupees, approximately four to five dollars per person, depending on the room type. The hotels were completed in 1970. A new holding company was established to attract domestic investment for this venture, in addition to forming small companies in the cities where the hotels will be located. For the foreign exchange portion, which constitutes 20% of the total cost, successful discussions were conducted with the Export-Import Bank. The entire project relied on private investment, with no financial participation from the Government of Pakistan. Air Marshal Asghar Khan mentioned that the PIA Board of Directors approved an investment of approximately Rs. 10 million for the project. Pakistan Services Ltd., which operated the Intercontinental hotel chain, contributed significantly. Local municipal bodies were approached for investment as well. Bechtel Corp. of New York prepared the design and cost estimates for the proposed motels. To ensure cost-effectiveness and timely execution, it was recommended that a standardised design be used for all the motels, utilising local materials, equipment, and expertise as much as possible.