Pakistan International Airlines
Encyclopedia
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier
airline
of Pakistan
. The airline has its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport
in Karachi
. and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Its main bases are at Karachi, Lahore
and Islamabad/Rawalpindi
. PIA has been ranked as a 3-star airline by Skytrax
, the world's official airline and airport reviewer.
The airline's secondary bases include Peshawar
, Faisalabad
, Quetta
, Sialkot
and Multan
, from which it connects the metropolitan cities with the main bases, the Middle East
and the Far East
. The airline is owned by the Government of Pakistan
(87%) and other shareholders (13%). It employed 18,043 people as of May 2008.
to develop a flag carrier for the nation. Meanwhile, an airline called 'Orient Airways
', registered in Calcutta, was formed on 23 October 1946. In February 1947, the airline brought three DC-3 airplanes from a company in Texas, and in May of that year the airline was granted a licence to fly. Services were started in June from Kolkata to Sittwe and Yangon. This was the first post-war airline flight by a South Asian registered airline company. Two months after this service began, Pakistan was formed. Orient Airways began relief flights to the new nation and, soon after, it moved its operations to Karachi
, where it began flights to Dhaka
on 7 June 1954. In addition, the first two domestic routes in Pakistan were established, from Karachi to Lahore
to Peshawar
, and from Karachi to Quetta
to Lahore.
The Government of Pakistan, realizing the operation was failing economically, proposed that Orient Airways merge into a new national airline. On 11 March 1955, Orient Airways merged with the government's proposed airline, becoming 'Pakistan International Airlines Corporation'. During the same year the airline opened its first international service, from Karachi to London Heathrow Airport
via Cairo International Airport
and Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino, Italy
, using three newly-acquired Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellations. The DC-3s continued operating the domestic services in Pakistan. In May 1956, PIA ordered two further Super Lockheed Constellation
s of the latest L-1049H version and five Vickers Viscount 815
. In 1959, Malik Nur Khan was named Managing Director.
In March 1960, PIA became the first Asian airline to use jet aircraft when Boeing 707
services were introduced. The aircraft were wet lease
d from Pan American
and in 1961 services were begun to John F. Kennedy International Airport
in New York City. In 1962, orders were placed for Boeing 720
s, Fokker F27
s and Sikorsky
helicopters. One of PIA's Boeing 720s broke a world record that year, when it flew from London to Karachi non-stop in 6 hours and 43 minutes and 51 seconds during its delivery flight from Seattle, piloted by PIA's senior Captain Abdullah Baig, a record unbroken to this day. During 1962, services to East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh
) were proving to be difficult, therefore PIA placed their Sikorsky S-61
helicopters on these routes until 1966 when conditions improved. In 1964 PIA became the first airline from a non-communist country to fly to the People's Republic of China. As the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
broke out, PIA helped the Pakistani Armed Forces with logistics and transport. In 1966, the Viscounts were phased out, substituted by four Hawker Siddeley Trident
s. However, as growth surpassed the need for these aircraft, they were later sold to Civil Aviation Administration of China
.
The 1970s saw the resumption of transatlantic flights and new destinations. It once again aided the Pakistan Army
by transporting soldiers to East Pakistan
in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
and lost a couple of its aircraft to Indian Air Force
fighters. In 1972 it applied to operate to Libya
and an agreement was signed with Yugoslav
airline JAT. In 1973, McDonnell Douglas DC-10
s arrived and were used by the airline before they were replaced by Boeing 707-300
s. In 1974 air freight services started, as well as a cargo service to New York City under the name, 'Pakistan International Cargo'. In 1975, PIA introduced new uniforms for air hostesses. These uniforms were chosen through an open competition, the winning entry was a design by Sir Hardy Amies who was designer to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1976, leased Boeing 747-200
Bs came into service. In 1979, the airline bought their first Boeing 747-200BM aircraft. Also in 1978 the airline provided help to Somali Airlines
, Air Malta
and Yemenia
and established a hotel management service in the United Arab Emirates
. PIA leased two of its own Boeing 720s to Air Malta during the 70s.
The 1980s began with the opening of a cargo centre in Karachi and the delivery of a new aircraft, Airbus A300B4-203
. In 1981, a duty-free sales service was inaugurated. During 1982, the first C and D checks were carried out on the fleet in Karachi. In 1984, domestic night coach fare service was introduced to offer lower prices for low-income passengers. In 1985 the PIA Planetarium
tourist attraction was inaugurated in Karachi and later in Lahore. In the same year, five Boeing 737-300
s joined the fleet making PIA the first Asian operator of such a type. Two former PIA Boeing 720Bs now form part of the Planetarium's exhibition at Karachi and Lahore. In late 1987 and early 1988, flights were introduced to Malé
and to Toronto Pearson International Airport
, respectively. In 1989, the first women pilots started their career on passenger airplanes.
During June 1991, PIA received the first of six Airbus A310-300
aircraft on from Airbus Industrie
. In 1992, flights started to Tashkent
and in 1993, to Zürich, Switzerland
. In addition, PIA became a user of the Sabre
, Galileo and Amadeus
global distribution systems. During 1994, PIA added Jakarta
, Fujairah
, Baku
and Al-Ain to its destinations. Air Safari flights were launched in the same year using Boeing 737–300 aircraft over the Karakoram
mountains. In 1995, PIA received a Boeing 747 flight simulation system and a used Air France
A300 aircraft was bought. In 1996 the airline leased Tupolev
Tu-154 aircraft, and re-opened services to Beirut
.
PIA only used the Tupolev Tu-154
for a short time to deal with the demand during the summer of 1996. In 1999, PIA leased five Boeing 747–300 aircraft from Cathay Pacific
to replace its aging Boeing 747-200M fleet. The aircraft wore a new livery with a handwork Pashmina tail on white body and large Pakistan titles on the front fuselage. The livery was applied to some of the fleet during the 90s but due to copyright problems the livery was dropped. The Boeing 747-300s remained in the new look but with a plain green tail with PIA titles. The other aircraft in the fleet were repainted in the 1990s livery.
In July 2002, PIA purchased six Boeing 747-300
aircraft from Cathay Pacific
, five of which were already on lease with PIA. The sixth arrived shortly after and PIA operated it mainly on its North American and European routes. In October 2002, after a period of ten years without any new order, the airline purchased eight Boeing 777
aircraft from The Boeing Company, including three 777-200ER (Extended Range), two 777-200LR
(Longer Range) and three 777-300ER versions. PIA was the launch customer that revived the Boeing 777-200LR project that, until then, only had three orders by EVA Air
. The first two Boeing 777-200LR produced were test aircraft used by Boeing, before they were delivered to PIA. One of these Boeing 777-200LR was displayed at the Paris Airshow during 2005.
During 2004, PIA took delivery of its first Boeing 777-200ER aircraft in January. On delivery of the first three Boeing 777-200ERs the airline introduced a new aircraft livery, which was later applied to the majority of the fleet. PIA also acquired six half life Airbus A310-300/ET
from the Airbus management on a ten year lease agreement. On 3 November 2005 PIA signed an agreement with the aircraft manufacturer, ATR to purchase seven ATR42-500
. The aircraft were purchased to replace the aging F-27 aircraft. The seven ATR aircraft were delivered between 2006 and 2007. On 6 December 2005, PIA leased an additional new Boeing 777-200ER from the International Lease Finance Corporation
(ILFC). The aircraft had the same specifications as the previous Boeing 777-200ER that PIA operated. The aircraft was delivered in January 2007 on ten year lease to the airline.
On 25 February 2006 Boeing delivered its first 777-200LR Worldliner to PIA, where it flew from Everett
to Islamabad via Manchester
, England. PIA started non-stop flight
s from Toronto
to Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore from 3 March 2006 taking advantage of Boeing 777-200LR's long range capability. PIA planned non-stop flights to New York City and other US cities with sizable Pakistani population centres, but was not given permission due to security reasons. On 31 May 2006, PIA took delivery of its first ATR aircraft from Toulouse, France. On 23 December 2006, PIA took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER. After the arrival of a second ATR 42–500
, PIA has ceased using military Lockheed C-130 Hercules
for passenger services in the north of Pakistan. The military planes were being used after the Fokker F27
fleet was grounded due to a fatal crash in July 2006.
On 5 March 2007, the European Commission
, following an on-site visit led by Federico Grandini, European Commission’s Air Safety Administrator, banned all but eight planes of PIA's 44-plane fleet from flying to Europe citing safety concerns. PIA was included in the List of air carriers banned in the European Union. The remaining eight, namely the fleet of Boeing 777
s, has been exempted from the ban. PIA claims that this is discriminatory and the bans are not justifiable. On 26 March 2007, Tariq Saeed Kirmani resigned after severe pressure from higher authorities because of the EU ban. Zafar Khan was appointed as the new chairman of Pakistan International Airlines. A team from the European Union visited Karachi in July 2007, to check the condition of the planes and review the ban. On 5 July 2007, the EU lifted the restriction on 11 aircraft that PIA could fly into Europe, of which five were Boeing 747-300
s and six Airbus A310-300
s On 29 November 2007, the EU completely lifted the ban on PIA. In the same year, PIA signed a lease deal for seven new Airbus A320-200
from Kuwait based leasing company ALAFCO
, the factory built aircraft were to be delivered between 2009 and 2010, however the deal was cancelled in 2008.
During April 2009, the management decided to launch a long-term ‘Business Plan of PIA’ including purchase of new aircraft with details of the plan being finalised And PIA is also thinking to buy new planes and add to there fleet and they decided to add Airbus A380 And other Airbus Planes.
(87%) while the remainder (13%) by private shareholders. The airline falls under the direction of the Ministry of Defence
chaired by its current chairman, Ahmad Mukhtar. The airline is managed by managing director, as well as the Board of Directors
. The Board consists of nine independent non-executive members and has four sub-committees, being an Audit Committee, Brand and Advertising Committee, Finance Committee and Human Resource Committee each with its own charter and chairman. The MD leads the executive management of staff who control the running of the airline. The airline's main headquarters are located in Karachi
whilst smaller sub head offices are located in several cities within Pakistan.
In the late 1990s, the Government of Pakistan considered selling the airline to the private sector due to the persistent losses suffered by the airline. The Government announced the privatisation plans but they were never implemented. Several steps towards outsourcing of non-core business have been initiated. Catering units (starting with Karachi Flight Kitchen), ground handling (starting with ramp services) and engineering, are to be gradually carved out of the airline and operated as independent companies. During 1997, Pakistan called in a team from International Finance
(IFC), the consulting arm of the World Bank
, to advise on restructuring and privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) however no agreement was reached. The government has many times planned the privatization of the State owned. however as of yet no reasonable agreement or solution has been found. On 18 February 2009 the carrier was dropped from the privatisation list.
The airline also faces other challenges to its profitability such as staffing levels and overall management challenges. An employee count of 18,019 for a fleet of 40 aircraft
is clearly an area that needs to be reviewed.
The report for the first quarter of 2011 does not show any improvement in profitability. The after tax losses reported for the first quarter of 2011 are PKR 4.24 billion as compared to PKR 2.53 billion for the first quarter of 2010. Revenue, however, did increase to PKR 26.18 billion for the first quarter of 2011 compared with PKR 22.85 billion for the first quarter of 2010.
Passenger traffic has been more or less static over the last five years hovering around the five and a half million mark with a load factor of around 70%.
The company's annual revenue breakdown for 2010 was: 89% is from passenger traffic with just 6% from cargo. The remaining 5.5% is from excess baggage charges, charter, engineering and other services.
, Lahore
, Islamabad
, Faisalabad
and Peshawar
.
Dubai
is a major focus city
for the airline with flights to Bahawalpur
, Dera Ghazi Khan
, Faisalabad
, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan
, Peshawar
, Quetta
and Sialkot
.
However, due to criticism the design was modified before the first Boeing 777 was delivered. PIA and Boeing replaced the tail with a flowing Pakistan flag on a beige background. PAKISTAN titles were removed and the PIA acronym was enlarged and moved onto the fuselage. The engines and Urdu PIA remained the same. The leased A310s and most of 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 Pakhtoonkhwa
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 that 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 kilims, carpets and rugs woven with wool, goat or camel hair and mixed yarn. The pattern is mostly bold geometric motifs in primary colours dominated by red. The "Sindh" tail was influenced from the Hala tile work with electric blue and white floral patterns. In 2008 management stopped the application of provincial tails deeming them too costly.
PIA launched their new livery in early April 2010. An Airbus A310, Boeing 777–200 and Boeing 747–300 were the first aircraft to wear the new look. The livery was unveiled at the PIA headquarters on a Boeing 777 model. The livery is loosely based on the hugely popular 1980s "Sohni Dharti" livery and is expected to be painted on all of the active fleet when they are put into routine maintenance.
The livery consists of a Green and Gold strip running around the bottom of the fuselage and continuing right up until the tail cone. The forward/upper portion is white and at the rear it is an off white/beige colour. The bottom part of the tail blends into the upper fuselage as it is too white with the rest of the tail painted with a large wavy Pakistan flag which takes up the whole tail in a dark green colour. At the front of the fuselage 'PIA' is written in a billboard style in dark green and underneath 'Pakistan International' is written in gold. Just behind the cockpit there is a stylised Urdu PIA logo as well as on the engines. Underneath 'Pakistan' is written in bold on the aircraft belly
, Economy Plus+ and Economy
. However on their international flights a two class configuration, Business Plus and Economy, has remained popular. According to the Annual Report 2007, PIA recorded a seat factor of 69%, a percentage drop from 2006. PIA Business Plus passengers are offered lie-flat bed seats on all Boeing 777 as well as select Airbus A310 aircraft.
(SATS). PIA Catering also provide special meals to allow for passengers' dietary and religious needs. PIA is a dry airline – it does not serve alcohol on its flights.No Alcohol beverages or pork are served on board because of the religious law.
, with services to the Middle East and Europe. The operations ended in the late 1990s when both aircraft were grounded. PIA Cargo transports goods across Pakistan as well as to international destinations. These include meat and vegetables, textiles, paper products, laboratory equipment and postal mail.
In 2003 PIA launched "'PIA Speedex'", a courier service in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi/Islamabad; expanding within a year to 12 cities. Today, the airline offers over 70 locations within Pakistan, with shipments collected and delivered from customers' homes. From 2004 to September 2007, PIA Cargo operated two Airbus A300
Freighter aircraft chartered through MNG Airlines
to Haan
and Luton
; initially these also operated to Amsterdam
, Basel
and Cologne
.
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
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. PIA also has its own Sports Division since 1958 promoting sports within Pakistan such as cricket, hockey, football, squash, polo, tennis, bridge, chess, table tennis, cycling, and body building. PIA has its own Boy Scouts Association (PIA-BSA) working in partnership with Pakistan Boy Scouts Association
. After the earthquake
, 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 In 2008, PIA teamed up with mobile phone provider, Ufone
to provide air miles
to passengers who used the mobile network. Standard Chartered Bank
and PIA launched Credit Cards allowing passengers to earn air miles for use of their credit cards. In 2009, PIA was the gold sponsor for Logistics Pakistan, an Exhibition and Conference poised to highlight the emerging opportunities for the Logistics sector in Pakistan. In 2009, PIA and Pakistan Remittance Initiative
(PRI) formed a strategic alliance to promote world money transfers.
PIA has Planetarium
s in Karachi
and Lahore
which enable the public to see static aircraft as well as astronomy shows. PIA Horticulture
, set up in 1996, provides flowers for display in PIA's offices and for events, winning awards and accolades at flower exhibitions across the country. The airline supports non-profit organisations within Pakistan such as; Al-Shifa Trust, Zindagi Trust
, The Citizens Foundation
and Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). In 2009, PIA teamed up with the fast-food franchise, McDonalds, to offer passengers discounts on meals and upgrades. PIA also owns three hotels, the Roosevelt Hotel
, the Scribe Hotel and Skyrooms (Private) Limited. The airline also has an agreement with Pearl Continental Hotels for its UAE based passengers.
, Kadanwari
and Sawan Airport
in Sindh
as well as to other parts of the country on behalf of oil and gas companies. Ad hoc charters for United Nations peacekeeping troops are also carried out to Africa and Eastern Europe using Boeing 747s.
operation each year to and from Jeddah
and sometimes Madinah in Saudi Arabia
. PIA transports over 130,000 intending pilgrims each year from Karachi
, Lahore
, Islamabad
, Peshawar
, Quetta
, Faisalabad
, Multan
, Sialkot
, and Sukkur
to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
with its fleet of Boeing 747-300
and Boeing 777-200ER.
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
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 Boeing 737 was transferred to PIA permanently. The President and Prime Minister then resorted to using two of PIA's Airbus A310-300
for official visits, while rare trips were done on regular commercial flights of the airline. In February 2007 the government of Qatar gifted one of their VIP fleet A310
to the Pakistani government, this has ended the need for use of PIA aircraft. However, from time to time the government uses the airline's Boeing 737 or Airbus A310 for official trips.
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The airline has its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport
Jinnah International Airport
Jinnah International Airport is Pakistan's largest international and domestic airport. It is located in Karachi, Pakistan, and its passenger terminal is also commonly known as the جناح ٹرمینل Jinnah Terminal...
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Its main bases are at Karachi, Lahore
Allama Iqbal International Airport
Allama Iqbal International Airport is the second-largest civil airport in Pakistan, serving Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. Originally known as Lahore International Airport, it was renamed in 2003 for Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, the Islamic poet-philosopher who was a major advocate for the...
and Islamabad/Rawalpindi
Benazir Bhutto International Airport
Benazir Bhutto International Airport بینظیر بھٹّو بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈہ is the third-largest airport in Pakistan, serving the capital Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab...
. PIA has been ranked as a 3-star airline by Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
, the world's official airline and airport reviewer.
The airline's secondary bases include Peshawar
Peshawar International Airport
Peshawar International Airport is an airport located in the city of Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Located about a 10-minute drive from the centre of Peshawar, it is the fourth busiest airport in Pakistan...
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad International Airport
Faisalabad International Airport is situated on Jhang Road, away from the city centre of Faisalabad, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is not as large as the other airports in Pakistan, as it operates to cater mainly to the population of Faisalabad, Jhang, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Rabwah,...
, Quetta
Quetta International Airport
Quetta International Airport is located at Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, Pakistan. The airport is the fourth highest airport in Pakistan . It is second largest airport in south region of the country, however the largest for the province of Balochistan. It is situated 12 km...
, Sialkot
Sialkot International Airport
Sialkot International Airport is situated 14 km west of Sialkot in the Sialkot District of Pakistan...
and Multan
Multan International Airport
Muhammad Bin Qasim International Airport is an airport situated 10 km away from the city centre of Multan in Punjab, Pakistan. It is not as large as the other airports in Pakistan, as it operates to cater mainly to the population of Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Sahiwal,...
, from which it connects the metropolitan cities with the main bases, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. The airline is owned by the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
(87%) and other shareholders (13%). It employed 18,043 people as of May 2008.
History
'Pakistan International Airlines', or 'PIA' for short, can trace its beginnings to the days when Pakistan was not a nation, rather a region of British India. In 1946 Muhammed Ali Jinnah realised the need for an airline network for the forming country and called upon the help of an industrialist Mirza Ahmad IspahaniMirza Ahmad Ispahani
Mirza Ahmad Ispahani or M A Ispahani was the first and longest serving chairman of Pakistan International Airlines from its inception until 1962. In the days when Pakistan was still in the offing Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, requested Mr. M.A...
to develop a flag carrier for the nation. Meanwhile, an airline called 'Orient Airways
Orient Airways
Orient Airways Ltd. was an airline established in 1946 with a base in Calcutta, India. It was the first and only Muslim owned airline in pre-partition India.-History:...
', registered in Calcutta, was formed on 23 October 1946. In February 1947, the airline brought three DC-3 airplanes from a company in Texas, and in May of that year the airline was granted a licence to fly. Services were started in June from Kolkata to Sittwe and Yangon. This was the first post-war airline flight by a South Asian registered airline company. Two months after this service began, Pakistan was formed. Orient Airways began relief flights to the new nation and, soon after, it moved its operations to Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, where it began flights to Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
on 7 June 1954. In addition, the first two domestic routes in Pakistan were established, from Karachi to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
to Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, and from Karachi to Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
to Lahore.
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
via Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport
Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
and Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino, Italy
Fiumicino, Italy
Fiumicino is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. It is famous for the presence of the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, the busiest airport in Italy and the fifth busiest in Europe.-History:...
, using three newly-acquired Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellations. The DC-3s continued operating the domestic services in Pakistan. In May 1956, PIA ordered two further Super Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
s of the latest L-1049H version and five Vickers Viscount 815
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
. In 1959, Malik Nur Khan was named Managing Director.
In March 1960, PIA became the first Asian airline to use jet aircraft when Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
services were introduced. The aircraft were wet lease
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
d from Pan American
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
and in 1961 services were begun to John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in New York City. In 1962, orders were placed for Boeing 720
Boeing 720
The Boeing 720 is a four-engine narrow-body short- to medium-range passenger jet airliner. Developed by Boeing in the late 1950s from the Boeing 707, the 720 has a shorter fuselage and less range...
s, Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
s and Sikorsky
Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
helicopters. One of PIA's Boeing 720s broke a world record that year, when it flew from London to Karachi non-stop in 6 hours and 43 minutes and 51 seconds during its delivery flight from Seattle, piloted by PIA's senior Captain Abdullah Baig, a record unbroken to this day. During 1962, services to East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
(now Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
) were proving to be difficult, therefore PIA placed their Sikorsky S-61
Sikorsky S-61
The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the successful SH-3 Sea King helicopter. They are two of the most widely used airliner and oil rig support helicopters built.-Design and development:...
helicopters on these routes until 1966 when conditions improved. In 1964 PIA became the first airline from a non-communist country to fly to the People's Republic of China. As the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
broke out, PIA helped the Pakistani Armed Forces with logistics and transport. In 1966, the Viscounts were phased out, substituted by four Hawker Siddeley Trident
Hawker Siddeley Trident
The Hawker Siddeley HS 121 Trident was a British short/medium-range three-engined jet airliner designed by de Havilland and built by Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s and 1970s...
s. However, as growth surpassed the need for these aircraft, they were later sold to Civil Aviation Administration of China
CAAC
CAAC is an acronym which may refer to the following:* Civil Aviation Administration of China, an administrative body of the People's Republic of China* Capital Area Activities Conference, a high school sports league centered around Lansing, Michigan...
.
The 1970s saw the resumption of transatlantic flights and new destinations. It once again aided the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
by transporting soldiers to East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
and lost a couple of its aircraft to Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
fighters. In 1972 it applied to operate to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and an agreement was signed with Yugoslav
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
airline JAT. In 1973, McDonnell Douglas DC-10
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...
s arrived and were used by the airline before they were replaced by Boeing 707-300
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
s. In 1974 air freight services started, as well as a cargo service to New York City under the name, 'Pakistan International Cargo'. In 1975, PIA introduced new uniforms for air hostesses. These uniforms were chosen through an open competition, the winning entry was a design by Sir Hardy Amies who was designer to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1976, leased Boeing 747-200
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
Bs came into service. In 1979, the airline bought their first Boeing 747-200BM aircraft. Also in 1978 the airline provided help to Somali Airlines
Somali Airlines
Somali Airlines was the flag carrier of Somalia.-History and destinations:The carrier was formed in March 1964 as the national airline of the country with the aid of Alitalia, which initially held a 50% controlling stake in the company, and the Somali government held the balance...
, Air Malta
Air Malta
Air Malta plc is the national airline of Malta, headquartered in Luqa. It operates services to 36 destinations in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The airline's hub and base is at Malta International Airport.- History :...
and Yemenia
Yemenia
Yemenia , also known as Yemen Airways is the national airline of Yemen, based in Sana'a. It operates scheduled domestic and international passenger flights to destinations in Africa and the Middle East, as well as to Asia and Europe, out of its hubs at Sana'a International Airport, and Aden...
and established a hotel management service in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. PIA leased two of its own Boeing 720s to Air Malta during the 70s.
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
. In 1981, a duty-free sales service was inaugurated. During 1982, the first C and D checks were carried out on the fleet in Karachi. In 1984, domestic night coach fare service was introduced to offer lower prices for low-income passengers. In 1985 the PIA Planetarium
PIA Planetarium
PIA Planetarium is a Pakistani planetarium located in Karachi and Lahore. These planetarium contains a Sky-Dome and a Boeing jet plane in both cities. These are for providing the education to students of science. It was established in 1985 firstly in Karachi and then in Lahore. This planetarium is...
tourist attraction was inaugurated in Karachi and later in Lahore. In the same year, five Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
s joined the fleet making PIA the first Asian operator of such a type. Two former PIA Boeing 720Bs now form part of the Planetarium's exhibition at Karachi and Lahore. In late 1987 and early 1988, flights were introduced to Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
and to Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
, respectively. In 1989, the first women pilots started their career on passenger airplanes.
During June 1991, PIA received the first of six Airbus A310-300
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
aircraft on from Airbus Industrie
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
. In 1992, flights started to Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
and in 1993, to Zürich, Switzerland
Zürich International Airport
Zurich Airport also called Kloten Airport, is located in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, and managed by Flughafen Zürich AG. It is Switzerland's largest international flight gateway and hub to Swiss International Air Lines. It is partially in Kloten, Rümlang, Oberglatt, Winkel and Opfikon...
. In addition, PIA became a user of the Sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
, Galileo and Amadeus
Amadeus
Amadeus is a play by Peter Shaffer.It is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, highly fictionalized.Amadeus was first performed in 1979...
global distribution systems. During 1994, PIA added Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Fujairah
Fujairah
Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf .-History:...
, Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
and Al-Ain to its destinations. Air Safari flights were launched in the same year using Boeing 737–300 aircraft over the Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
mountains. In 1995, PIA received a Boeing 747 flight simulation system and a used Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
A300 aircraft was bought. In 1996 the airline leased Tupolev
Tupolev
Tupolev is a Russian aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Basmanny District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. Known officially as Public Stock Company Tupolev, it is the successor of the Tupolev OKB or Tupolev Design Bureau headed by the Soviet aerospace engineer A.N. Tupolev...
Tu-154 aircraft, and re-opened services to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
.
PIA only used the Tupolev Tu-154
Tupolev Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
for a short time to deal with the demand during the summer of 1996. In 1999, PIA leased five Boeing 747–300 aircraft from Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
to replace its aging Boeing 747-200M fleet. The aircraft wore a new livery with a handwork Pashmina tail on white body and large Pakistan titles on the front fuselage. The livery was applied to some of the fleet during the 90s but due to copyright problems the livery was dropped. The Boeing 747-300s remained in the new look but with a plain green tail with PIA titles. The other aircraft in the fleet were repainted in the 1990s livery.
Expansion
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
aircraft from Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
, five of which were already on lease with PIA. The sixth arrived shortly after and PIA operated it mainly on its North American and European routes. In October 2002, after a period of ten years without any new order, the airline purchased eight Boeing 777
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft from The Boeing Company, including three 777-200ER (Extended Range), two 777-200LR
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
(Longer Range) and three 777-300ER versions. PIA was the launch customer that revived the Boeing 777-200LR project that, until then, only had three orders by EVA Air
EVA Air
EVA Airways Corporation "; ) is an airline based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. EVA Air is largely privately owned and flies a fully...
. The first two Boeing 777-200LR produced were test aircraft used by Boeing, before they were delivered to PIA. One of these Boeing 777-200LR was displayed at the Paris Airshow during 2005.
During 2004, PIA took delivery of its first Boeing 777-200ER aircraft in January. On delivery of the first three Boeing 777-200ERs the airline introduced a new aircraft livery, which was later applied to the majority of the fleet. PIA also acquired six half life Airbus A310-300/ET
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
from the Airbus management on a ten year lease agreement. On 3 November 2005 PIA signed an agreement with the aircraft manufacturer, ATR to purchase seven ATR42-500
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
. The aircraft were purchased to replace the aging F-27 aircraft. The seven ATR aircraft were delivered between 2006 and 2007. On 6 December 2005, PIA leased an additional new Boeing 777-200ER from the International Lease Finance Corporation
International Lease Finance Corporation
The International Lease Finance Corporation is an aircraft lessor headquartered in Century City, Los Angeles, California.It is the world's largest aircraft lessor by value, though ILFC's rival, General Electric's GECAS unit, has more aircraft...
(ILFC). The aircraft had the same specifications as the previous Boeing 777-200ER that PIA operated. The aircraft was delivered in January 2007 on ten year lease to the airline.
On 25 February 2006 Boeing delivered its first 777-200LR Worldliner to PIA, where it flew from Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
to Islamabad via Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. PIA started non-stop flight
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
s from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore from 3 March 2006 taking advantage of Boeing 777-200LR's long range capability. PIA planned non-stop flights to New York City and other US cities with sizable Pakistani population centres, but was not given permission due to security reasons. On 31 May 2006, PIA took delivery of its first ATR aircraft from Toulouse, France. On 23 December 2006, PIA took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER. After the arrival of a second ATR 42–500
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
, PIA has ceased using military Lockheed C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
for passenger services in the north of Pakistan. The military planes were being used after the Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
fleet was grounded due to a fatal crash in July 2006.
On 5 March 2007, the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, following an on-site visit led by Federico Grandini, European Commission’s Air Safety Administrator, banned all but eight planes of PIA's 44-plane fleet from flying to Europe citing safety concerns. PIA was included in the List of air carriers banned in the European Union. The remaining eight, namely the fleet of Boeing 777
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
s, has been exempted from the ban. PIA claims that this is discriminatory and the bans are not justifiable. On 26 March 2007, Tariq Saeed Kirmani resigned after severe pressure from higher authorities because of the EU ban. Zafar Khan was appointed as the new chairman of Pakistan International Airlines. A team from the European Union visited Karachi in July 2007, to check the condition of the planes and review the ban. On 5 July 2007, the EU lifted the restriction on 11 aircraft that PIA could fly into Europe, of which five were Boeing 747-300
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s and six Airbus A310-300
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
s On 29 November 2007, the EU completely lifted the ban on PIA. In the same year, PIA signed a lease deal for seven new Airbus A320-200
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
from Kuwait based leasing company ALAFCO
ALAFCO
ALAFCO is an aircraft-leasing company, based in Kuwait. It is jointly owned by the Kuwait Finance House and Kuwait Airways, the flag carrier of Kuwait...
, the factory built aircraft were to be delivered between 2009 and 2010, however the deal was cancelled in 2008.
During April 2009, the management decided to launch a long-term ‘Business Plan of PIA’ including purchase of new aircraft with details of the plan being finalised And PIA is also thinking to buy new planes and add to there fleet and they decided to add Airbus A380 And other Airbus Planes.
Structure
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) is majority owned by the Government of PakistanGovernment of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
(87%) while the remainder (13%) by private shareholders. The airline falls under the direction of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Defence , is a federal government ministry tasked with coordinating and supervising all major government agencies and federal departments of the government relating directly to National security and the Pakistan Defense Forces...
chaired by its current chairman, Ahmad Mukhtar. The airline is managed by managing director, as well as the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. The Board consists of nine independent non-executive members and has four sub-committees, being an Audit Committee, Brand and Advertising Committee, Finance Committee and Human Resource Committee each with its own charter and chairman. The MD leads the executive management of staff who control the running of the airline. The airline's main headquarters are located in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
whilst smaller sub head offices are located in several cities within Pakistan.
Privatisation
International finance
International finance is the branch of economics that studies the dynamics of exchange rates, foreign investment, global financial system, and how these affect international trade. It also studies international projects, international investments and capital flows, and trade deficits. It includes...
(IFC), the consulting arm of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, to advise on restructuring and privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) however no agreement was reached. The government has many times planned the privatization of the State owned. however as of yet no reasonable agreement or solution has been found. On 18 February 2009 the carrier was dropped from the privatisation list.
Financial Performance
The following table gives the key financial results for 2010 along with those since 2004. The financial performance for FY 2010 continues to be a challenge with a loss of PKR 20,785 billion. This was preceded by five consecutive loss making years dating back to 2005. A reversal of this trend is hard to see in the near future. The airline did report a reduction of post tax losses of 83% in 2009 (compared to 2008) based on a reduction in fuel cost, comparatively stable exchange rate for the Pakistan Ruppee and higher revenues. But in 2010, losses have again risen sharply compared to the previous year.The airline also faces other challenges to its profitability such as staffing levels and overall management challenges. An employee count of 18,019 for a fleet of 40 aircraft
is clearly an area that needs to be reviewed.
| Year | Revenues (PKR in Million) | Profit/(Loss) (PKR in Million) | Employees (Ave.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 107,532 | (20,785) | 18,019 |
| 2009 | 94,564 | (5,822) | 17,944 |
| 2008 | 88,863 | (36,139) | 18,036 |
| 2007 | 70,481 | (13,399) | 18,149 |
| 2006 | 70,587 | (12,763) | 18,282 |
| 2005 | 64,074 | (4,412) | 19,263 |
| 2004 | 57,788 | 2,307 | 19,634 |
The report for the first quarter of 2011 does not show any improvement in profitability. The after tax losses reported for the first quarter of 2011 are PKR 4.24 billion as compared to PKR 2.53 billion for the first quarter of 2010. Revenue, however, did increase to PKR 26.18 billion for the first quarter of 2011 compared with PKR 22.85 billion for the first quarter of 2010.
Passenger traffic has been more or less static over the last five years hovering around the five and a half million mark with a load factor of around 70%.
| Year | Revenue Passengers (Million) | Passenger Load Factor | Average Passenger Stage Distance (Statute KM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.538 | 74% | 2,827 |
| 2009 | 5.535 | 70% | 2,510 |
| 2008 | 5.617 | 71% | 2,479 |
| 2007 | 5.415 | 67% | 2,527 |
| 2006 | 5.732 | 69% | 2,639 |
| 2005 | 5.499 | 70% | 2,638 |
The company's annual revenue breakdown for 2010 was: 89% is from passenger traffic with just 6% from cargo. The remaining 5.5% is from excess baggage charges, charter, engineering and other services.
Destinations
PIA serves 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27 countries across Asia, Europe, North America as of August 2011 from its home bases of KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad
Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
and Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
.
Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
is a major focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
for the airline with flights to Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur , located in the province of Punjab, is the twelfth largest city in Pakistan. The city was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was home to various Nawabs and counted as part of the Rajputana states...
, Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad
Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
and Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
.
Codeshare agreements
PIA has codeshare agreements with the following four airlines:- Aerosvit AirlinesAerosvit AirlinesAeroSvit Airlines closed joint stock company , operating as AeroSvit - Ukrainian Airlines / АероСвіт, is one of the Ukrainian flag carriers. Its head office is on the grounds of Boryspil International Airport in Boryspil, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine...
- China Southern AirlinesChina Southern AirlinesChina Southern Airlines is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the world's sixth-largest airline measured by passengers carried, and Asia's largest airline in terms of both fleet size and passengers carried...
(SkyTeamSkyTeamSkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
) - Thai Airways InternationalThai Airways InternationalThai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
(Star AllianceStar AllianceStar Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
) - Turkish AirlinesTurkish AirlinesTurkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul...
(Star AllianceStar AllianceStar Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
)
Fleet
The Pakistan International Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of November 2011).| Aircraft | Total | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Q | Y | Total | |||
| Airbus A310-300 Airbus A310 The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of... |
12 | 12 | 40 | 132 | 184 | |
| 18 | 43 | 144 | 205 | |||
| 18 | 45 | 142 | 205 | |||
| ATR 42-500 ATR 42 -Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.... |
7 | — | 10 | 40 | 50 | |
| Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
6 | — | 24 | 94 | 118 | |
| — | 27 | 92 | 119 | |||
| Boeing 747-200 Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced... |
1 | — | 20 | 448 | 468 | |
| Boeing 747-300 Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced... |
5 | — | 30 | 448 | 478 | |
| Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
4 | 35 | 45 | 240 | 320 | |
| 35 | 54 | 240 | 329 | |||
| Boeing 777-200LR Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
2 | 35 | 60 | 215 | 310 | |
| Boeing 777-300ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
3 | 35 | 60 | 304 | 393 | |
| Total | 40 | |||||
Fleet developments
- PIA has plans to retire its ageing Boeing 737 and 747 fleet as well as return six leased Airbus A310-300 to Airbus Management. It is expected the airline will order aircraft in December 2011 which will comprise of Boeing 777, Boeing 737NG's and ATR-72 aircraft.
Livery
In December 2003 PIA introduced a new image that was applied to their first 777-200ER and on two leased A310-300s 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 PIA written in dark green. PAKISTAN was added to the front fuselage and the engines where painted beige. The PIA 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. PIA and Boeing replaced the tail with a flowing Pakistan flag on a beige background. PAKISTAN titles were removed and the PIA acronym was enlarged and moved onto the fuselage. The engines and Urdu PIA remained the same. The leased A310s and most of 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
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
and Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. 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 that 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
Wazir Khan Mosque
The Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as ' a mole on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 AD, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan...
in Lahore. The "Balochistan" tail showed the creativity seen in the kilims, carpets and rugs woven with wool, goat or camel hair and mixed yarn. The pattern is mostly bold geometric motifs in primary colours dominated by red. The "Sindh" tail was influenced from the Hala tile work with electric blue and white floral patterns. In 2008 management stopped the application of provincial tails deeming them too costly.
PIA launched their new livery in early April 2010. An Airbus A310, Boeing 777–200 and Boeing 747–300 were the first aircraft to wear the new look. The livery was unveiled at the PIA headquarters on a Boeing 777 model. The livery is loosely based on the hugely popular 1980s "Sohni Dharti" livery and is expected to be painted on all of the active fleet when they are put into routine maintenance.
The livery consists of a Green and Gold strip running around the bottom of the fuselage and continuing right up until the tail cone. The forward/upper portion is white and at the rear it is an off white/beige colour. The bottom part of the tail blends into the upper fuselage as it is too white with the rest of the tail painted with a large wavy Pakistan flag which takes up the whole tail in a dark green colour. At the front of the fuselage 'PIA' is written in a billboard style in dark green and underneath 'Pakistan International' is written in gold. Just behind the cockpit there is a stylised Urdu PIA logo as well as on the engines. Underneath 'Pakistan' is written in bold on the aircraft belly
Cabin
PIA operate a three class configuration on its domestic routes which include Business PlusBusiness class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
, Economy Plus+ and Economy
Economy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
. However on their international flights a two class configuration, Business Plus and Economy, has remained popular. According to the Annual Report 2007, PIA recorded a seat factor of 69%, a percentage drop from 2006. PIA Business Plus passengers are offered lie-flat bed seats on all Boeing 777 as well as select Airbus A310 aircraft.
Newspapers and magazines
The PIA in-flight magazine, Humsafar (Urdu for "travel companion"), is provided to all passengers on all international and domestic flights. Humsafar was introduced on PIA flights in 1980 and is printed and published in-house on a bi-monthly basis. General Urdu and English newspapers and magazines are available to all Business Plus and Economy Plus class passengers on PIA flights. Free newspapers are provided to all Economy class passengers.Frequent flyer programme
PIA Awards Plus+ is the frequent flyer programme. The programme allows passengers to get free tickets, excess baggage vouchers, cabin upgrades, and a variety of rewards, special deals, and discounts with programme participants. Awards Plus+ has three tiers of membership – Emerald, Sapphire and Diamond. Awards Plus+ miles can be earned by flying PIA and by using the products and services of PIA's partners.Catering
PIA Catering are the main suppliers of meals for the airline. They can produce 15,000 passenger meals each day. However since 2006, the management control of the flight kitchens has been given to Singapore Air Terminal ServicesSingapore Airport Terminal Services
SATS Ltd. , commonly abbreviated as SATS is the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport. SATS controls about 80% of Changi airport's ground handling and catering business....
(SATS). PIA Catering also provide special meals to allow for passengers' dietary and religious needs. PIA is a dry airline – it does not serve alcohol on its flights.No Alcohol beverages or pork are served on board because of the religious law.
Cargo operations
PIA operates a cargo delivery system within Pakistan. During the early 1970s, PIA operated a service called "Air Express" that delivered documents and parcels from one airport to another. Pakistan International Cargo was started in 1974 using two Boeing 707-320CBoeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, with services to the Middle East and Europe. The operations ended in the late 1990s when both aircraft were grounded. PIA Cargo transports goods across Pakistan as well as to international destinations. These include meat and vegetables, textiles, paper products, laboratory equipment and postal mail.
In 2003 PIA launched "'PIA Speedex'", a courier service in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi/Islamabad; expanding within a year to 12 cities. Today, the airline offers over 70 locations within Pakistan, with shipments collected and delivered from customers' homes. From 2004 to September 2007, PIA Cargo operated two Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
Freighter aircraft chartered through MNG Airlines
MNG Airlines
MNG Airlines is a cargo airline based in Istanbul, Turkey. It operates scheduled and charter services within the Middle East and to the Far East, United States and European destinations. Its main bases are Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul, Antalya Airport and Brussels Airport.- History :The...
to Haan
Haan
Haan is a town in the Bergian district of Mettmann, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Haan is located close to Düsseldorf. In 1975, Gruiten was incorporated into Haan.-International relations:...
and Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
; initially these also operated to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
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
Pakistan International Airlines cricket team
Pakistan International Airlines cricket team are a first-class cricket side based in Karachi, Pakistan. They have won the Qaid-i-Azam Trophy more times than anyone else...
first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
team that plays in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy
Quaid-i-Azam Trophy
The Quaid-i-Azam Trophy is the premier first-class domestic cricket competition in Pakistan.-History :Named after Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, the Trophy was introduced in 1953 to help pick the squad for Pakistan's Test tour of England in the forthcoming year...
and Patron's Trophy
Patron's Trophy
The Patron's Trophy is a Pakistani first class cricket competition. It was first played in 1960-61 as the Ayub Trophy and remained so for ten years. In 1970-71 it became the BCCP Trophy and two years later it received the title Patron's Trophy....
. PIA sponsors the PIA football club
PIA FC
PIA are a Pakistani football club who play in the Pakistan Premier League. Founded in 1958 and based in Karachi, the Pakistan International Airlines affiliated team are the most successful Pakistani football club, winning the national championship a record 9 times.Their first championship came in...
, and the A1 Team Pakistan
A1 Team Pakistan
A1 Team Pakistan is the Pakistani team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :In 2008/2009 season, the team is being run by Team Craft, bringing a high level of knowledge and expertise to A1 Team Pakistan....
in the A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
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
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
and Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
regions of northern Pakistan during the summer period. PIA also has its own Sports Division since 1958 promoting sports within Pakistan such as cricket, hockey, football, squash, polo, tennis, bridge, chess, table tennis, cycling, and body building. PIA has its own Boy Scouts Association (PIA-BSA) working in partnership with Pakistan Boy Scouts Association
Pakistan Boy Scouts Association
The Pakistan Boy Scouts Association is the national Scouting organization of Pakistan and has 526,626 members . Scouting was founded in Pakistan as part of the British Indian branch of The Scout Association...
. After the earthquake
2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 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 In 2008, PIA teamed up with mobile phone provider, Ufone
Ufone
Ufone GSM is a Pakistani GSM cellular service provider, It's one of five GSM Mobile companies in Pakistan, and is a subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company. After the privatization of PTCL, Ufone is now owned by Etisalat. Ufone has a subscriber base of 20.23 million as of September 2010.-...
to provide air miles
Air Miles
Air Miles is the name of separately operated loyalty programs in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain , the Netherlands and the Middle East, through which points are earned on purchases at participating merchants.-History:...
to passengers who used the mobile network. Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
and PIA launched Credit Cards allowing passengers to earn air miles for use of their credit cards. In 2009, PIA was the gold sponsor for Logistics Pakistan, an Exhibition and Conference poised to highlight the emerging opportunities for the Logistics sector in Pakistan. In 2009, PIA and Pakistan Remittance Initiative
Pakistan Remittance Initiative
Pakistan Remittance Initiative is a joint initiative taken by State Bank of Pakistan, Ministries of Finance and Ministries of overseas Pakistanis. This initiative has been taken in order to facilitate the flow of remittance into Pakistan...
(PRI) formed a strategic alliance to promote world money transfers.
PIA has Planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
s in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
which enable the public to see static aircraft as well as astronomy shows. PIA Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, set up in 1996, provides flowers for display in PIA's offices and for events, winning awards and accolades at flower exhibitions across the country. The airline supports non-profit organisations within Pakistan such as; Al-Shifa Trust, Zindagi Trust
Zindagi Trust
Zindagi Trust is a Pakistan based organization which is working to provide quality education to the underprivileged children of Pakistan. Its founding member is Shehzad Roy, one of the leading pop singers in South Asia. He has dedicated his life to the establishment of Zindagi Trust, the...
, The Citizens Foundation
The Citizens Foundation
The Citizens Foundation is one of the largest non-profit organization in Pakistan in the field of education. It was established in 1995, by a group of like-minded citizens in Karachi...
and Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). In 2009, PIA teamed up with the fast-food franchise, McDonalds, to offer passengers discounts on meals and upgrades. PIA also owns three hotels, the Roosevelt Hotel
Roosevelt Hotel (New York)
The Roosevelt Hotel is at Madison Avenue and 45th Street in midtown Manhattan, named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. The New York City hotel opened on September 22, 1924. The hotel closed in 1995 and reopened in 1997 after a $65-million extensive renovation.-Guest rooms:There are a total...
, the Scribe Hotel and Skyrooms (Private) Limited. The airline also has an agreement with Pearl Continental Hotels for its UAE based passengers.
Charter services
PIA operates private charter flights using ATR 42s to BhitBhit
Bhit Shah is a small town located in Matiari District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is most famous for being the location of the shrine of Sindh's greatest sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai....
, Kadanwari
Kadanwari
Kadanwari قادن واری is a town in the Khairpur خیرپورمیرس District, Sindh, Pakistan. The Kadanwari Gas Field قادن واری گیس فیلڈ has been discovered near Kadanwari.- Kadanwari Gas Field قادن واری گیس فیلڈ :...
and Sawan Airport
Sawan Airport
-See also:* List of airports in Pakistan* Airlines of Pakistan* Transport in Pakistan* Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority...
in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
as well as to other parts of the country on behalf of oil and gas companies. Ad hoc charters for United Nations peacekeeping troops are also carried out to Africa and Eastern Europe using Boeing 747s.
Hajj and Umrah operations
PIA operates a two-month (pre- and post-) HajjHajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
operation each year to and from Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
and sometimes Madinah in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. PIA transports over 130,000 intending pilgrims each year from Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad
Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
, Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
, and Sukkur
Sukkur
Sukkur, or Sakharu , formerly Aror and Bakar, is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word Sakharu in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the...
to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
with its fleet of Boeing 747-300
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
and Boeing 777-200ER.
State officials transportation
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
was used for official visits by the Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
and Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
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 Boeing 737 was transferred to PIA permanently. The President and Prime Minister then resorted to using two of PIA's Airbus A310-300
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
for official visits, while rare trips were done on regular commercial flights of the airline. In February 2007 the government of Qatar gifted one of their VIP fleet A310
Airbus A310
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engine widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft created by Airbus Industrie,a consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. the consortium of...
to the Pakistani government, this has ended the need for use of PIA aircraft. However, from time to time the government uses the airline's Boeing 737 or Airbus A310 for official trips.
Incidents and accidents
Since it began services, seven Pakistan International Airlines flights have crashed. PIA has a record of 5.00 fatalities per million flights.- On 18 May 1959, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
AP-AJC was damaged beyond economic repair on landing at Islamabad International AirportBenazir Bhutto International AirportBenazir Bhutto International Airport بینظیر بھٹّو بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈہ is the third-largest airport in Pakistan, serving the capital Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab...
.
- On 14 August 1959, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
AP-AJE crashed at Karachi International AirportJinnah International AirportJinnah International Airport is Pakistan's largest international and domestic airport. It is located in Karachi, Pakistan, and its passenger terminal is also commonly known as the جناح ٹرمینل Jinnah Terminal...
while attempting an overshoot with two engines inoperative on a training flight. Two of the three people on board were killed.
- PIA Flight 705PIA Flight 705Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 was a Boeing 720–040B that crashed while descending to land on Runway 34 at Cairo International Airport on May 20, 1965 resulting in 119 fatalities.-Details:...
was a BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Boeing 720Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
that crashAviation accidents and incidentsAn aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
ed while descending to land on Runway 34 at Cairo International AirportCairo International AirportCairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Egypt and the primary hub for Star Alliance member EgyptAir. The airport is located to the north-east of the city around from the business area of the city.The airport is administered by the Egyptian Holding Co...
on 20 May 1965 resulting in 119 fatalities.
- Flight 17Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17 was a scheduled domestic flight from Dacca to Faridpur in East Pakistan operated by a Sikorsky S-61 twin-engined helicopter...
was a Sikorsky S-61Sikorsky S-61The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the successful SH-3 Sea King helicopter. They are two of the most widely used airliner and oil rig support helicopters built.-Design and development:...
that crashed on 2 February 1966 on a scheduled domestic flight in East PakistanEast PakistanEast Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
with 23 killed and one survivor.
- PIA Flight 740PIA Flight 740Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK740 was a Boeing 707-340C that crashed after takeoff from Jeddah International Airport on 26 November 1979. Flight PK740 departed Jeddah at 01:29 for a flight to Karachi. The aircraft was climbing to FL370 when, at 01:47, a stewardess reported a fire near...
was a BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
707-340CBoeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
that crashAviation accidents and incidentsAn aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
ed after takeoff from Jeddah International Airport on 26 November 1979. Flight PK740 departed JeddahJeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
at 01:29 for a flight to KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
- PIA Flight 326 was hijacked on 2 March 1981March 1981January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberThe following events occurred in March 1981.-March 1, 1981 :...
by three gunmen, and flown to Kabul. For almost two weeks, more than 100 passengers were held captive on the Boeing 720Boeing 720The Boeing 720 is a four-engine narrow-body short- to medium-range passenger jet airliner. Developed by Boeing in the late 1950s from the Boeing 707, the 720 has a shorter fuselage and less range...
until Pakistan released 55 prisoners. One passenger, Pakistani diplomat Tariq Rahim, was murdered during the ordeal. - PIA Flight 268PIA Flight 268Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 was an Airbus A300B4-203, registration AP-BCP, which crashed on approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on 28 September 1992. All 167 on board were killed....
was an AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
A300B4-203Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
, registration AP-BCP, which crashAviation accidents and incidentsAn aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
ed on approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international...
on 28 September 1992. All 167 on board were killed.
- PIA Flight 544PIA Flight 544PIA Flight PK-554, a Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F27, was hijacked on May 25, 1998, shortly after it took off from Gwadar International Airport, by three armed men belonging to Baloch Students Organization...
was the flight number of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Fokker F27Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
that was hijackedAircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
on 25 May 1998. All passengers and crew escaped unhurt during the incident.
- PIA Flight 688PIA Flight 688Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688 was scheduled to operate from Multan to Lahore and Islamabad at 12:05 pm on 10 July 2006. It crashed into a field after bursting into flames a few minutes after takeoff from Multan International Airport...
was a Fokker F27 was scheduled to operate from MultanMultanMultan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
to LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and then to IslamabadIslamabadIslamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
. At 12:05pm on 10 July 2006, it crashed into a field after bursting into flames a few minutes after takeoffTakeoffTakeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
from Multan International AirportMultan International AirportMuhammad Bin Qasim International Airport is an airport situated 10 km away from the city centre of Multan in Punjab, Pakistan. It is not as large as the other airports in Pakistan, as it operates to cater mainly to the population of Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Sahiwal,...
. All 41 passengers and four crew members on board were killed.
See also
- List of airlines of Pakistan
- Transport in PakistanTransport in PakistanTransportation in Pakistan is extensive and varied but still in its developing stages and serving a population of over 170 million people. Construction of new airports, roads, and railway lines have led to an employment boost in the country. Much of Pakistan's road network and railway network...