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Pakistan International Airlines

File:PIA Official Logo 2014.png
IATA ICAO Call sign PK PIA PAKISTAN
Founded	1946 (as Orient Airways)
Hubs	Jinnah International Airport Karachi Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad/Rawalpindi
Focus cities	Abu Dhabi Dubai Jeddah London Manchester
Frequent-flyer program	PIA Awards Plus+
Subsidiaries	Roosevelt Hotel Hotel The Scribe (Paris) Skyrooms (Pvt) Limited PIA Investments Limited
Fleet size	35
Destinations	50
Parent company	Aviation Division (Government of Pakistan)
Headquarters	Jinnah International Airport Karachi, Pakistan
Key people	Irfan Elahi (Acting Chairman) Nayyar Hayat (CFO & Acting CEO)
Revenue	Rs. 69.24 billion PKR (Third Quarter Report 2015)
Net income	Rs. 20.55 billion PKR (Third Quarter Report 2015)
Website	piac.com.pk

Pakistan International Airlines (Template:Lang-ur) commonly known as PIA (Template:Lang-ur) is the national flag carrier of Pakistan. Its main hub is Karachi while Lahore and Islamabad are its secondary hubs.

The airline was founded on 23 October 1946 as Orient Airways, initially based in Calcutta prior to the Partition of British India. It later acquired four Douglas DC-3s. The airline was nationalized on 10 January 1955 and was renamed Pakistan International Airlines. Its first international flight was in 1955, operating to London, via Cairo and Rome. PIA has a history of milestones in aviation, it was the first Asian carrier to fly the Lockheed Super Constellation and also was the first non-communist airline to fly to China. It was the second Asian airline to acquire a jet aircraft, a Boeing 707. More recently, it was the launch customer of the Boeing 777-200LR. The airline also owns The Roosevelt Hotel and Sofitel Paris Scribe Hotel.

It is Pakistan's largest airline with a fleet of more than 30 airplanes. As of 2016, PIA is going through a procedure of privatization to shift management from government to the private sector. It employed nearly 14,000 people as of annual report 2015 and the airline has overall punctuality of 88%. PIA operates scheduled services to 22 domestic destinations and 28 international destinations across Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America. It operates nearly 100 flights daily.

History

Pre-independence

Pakistan International Airlines can trace its origins to the days when Pakistan had not yet gained independence from the British Raj. In 1945, the country's founder Muhammed Ali Jinnah realized the need for a flag carrier for the prospective country and requested financial help from wealthy businessmen Mirza Ahmad Ispahani and Adamjee Haji Dawood for this purpose. Around that time, a new airline Orient Airways, was registered in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 23 October 1946. In February 1947, the airline bought three Douglas DC-3 aircraft and obtained a license to fly in May of the same year. The airline started its operations in June, offering services from Calcutta to Sittwe and Rangoon (present-day Yangon). On 14 August 1947, Pakistan gained independence and Orient Airways started relief operations for the new country. It was the first and only Muslim owned airline in the British Raj and flew from 1947 to 1955.

Post-independence

On 6 June 1954, Orient Airways started its operations by offering flight services between East- and West Pakistan, with service from Karachi to Dhaka. In addition, the airline also introduced two new domestic routes: Karachi–Lahore–Peshawar and Karachi–Quetta–Lahore. However, due to sustained losses being suffered by the airline, the Government of Pakistan proposed that Orient Airways merge with a new national airline. On 11 March 1955, Orient Airways merged with the government's proposed airline, becoming Pakistan International Airlines Corporation. The newly formed airline also inaugurated its first international route, Karachi-London Heathrow Airport via Cairo and Rome, using four newly acquired Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellations. The airline continued using DC-3s on domestic routes in Pakistan. In May 1956, PIA ordered five Vickers Viscount 815s.

1960s

The appointment of Air Marshal Nur Khan as the Managing Director of PIA in 1959 heralded an era of success for PIA. In March 1960, PIA wet-leased a Boeing 707 from Pan American airlines, thereby becoming the second Asian airline after Air India to induct a jet aircraft in its fleet. With the newly acquired aircraft, the airline introduced its first trans-Atlantic route Karachi-New York via London in 1961. In 1962, it expanded its fleet by placing orders for Boeing 720s, Fokker F27 Friendships, and Sikorsky helicopters. On 2 January 1962, a PIA Boeing 720B flown by Captain Abdullah Baig from London to Karachi established a world record for speed over a commercial airline route for powered landplanes of 938.78 km/h (582.98 mph), a record which still holds to this day.

From 1962 to 1966, PIA operated its Sikorsky S-61 helicopters for services within East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh). These were retired in 1966 and a reduced network of eight cities was served by Fokker F27 aircraft. Upon the establishment of ties between Pakistan and the People's Republic of China, PIA started flying to Beijing in 1964, becoming the first airline of a non-communist country flying to the People's Republic of China. At the outbreak of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Pakistani Armed Forces used PIA's services for logistics and transport purposes. The Viscounts were phased out in 1966 and were replaced by four Hawker Siddeley Tridents.

1970s

The '70s was marked by resumption of transatlantic flights, introduction of new destinations, appointment of Nur Khan as its executive for the second term, and the beginning of a financially successful period for the airline. When the political situation in East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) started deteriorating in early 70s, the Pakistan Army once again used PIA's services to airlift soldiers and ammunition to East Pakistan. Most flights had to detour to Sri Lanka during trips between West Pakistan and East Pakistan. With the establishment of cordial ties between the Libyan and Pakistani governments in early 70s, PIA added a new international route, Tripoli, to its map in 1972. It also signed an agreement with Yugoslav airline JAT. PIA acquired McDonnell Douglas DC-10s in 1973 and used the aircraft to replace Boeing 707-300s. In 1974, PIA launched Pakistan International Cargo, offering air freight and cargo services. In 1975, PIA introduced new uniforms for air hostesses which were chosen through an open competition, with the winning entry designed by Sir Hardy Amies, the designer of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The later half of the decade witnessed further expansion of PIA's fleet with the introduction of Boeing 747s through either leased or purchased aircraft. During this decade PIA was regarded as Asia's best airline. For the first time since its inauguration, PIA started providing technical and administrative assistance or leased aircraft to foreign airlines including Somali Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Air Malta and Yemenia. A subsidiary of PIA also started providing hotel management services in United Arab Emirates towards the end of the decade.

1980s

The 1980s decade began with the opening of a cargo handling centre at Karachi airport, duty-free shops, the first C and D safety checks on its entire fleet, as well as the introduction of airline's first Airbus A300B4-203 aircraft. In 1984, the airline introduced Night-Coach service as a low-cost alternative to day-time domestic flights. In the following years, PIA Planetarium was inaugurated in Karachi which was followed by planetariums in Lahore and Peshawar. These planetariums featured retired PIA aircraft on display for educational or observational purposes. Two more retired Boeing 720B aircraft were donated to the planetariums in Karachi and Lahore later on.

Also in 1985, five new Boeing 737-300s were introduced to PIA's fleet, making PIA the first Asian airline with such a diverse aircraft fleet. In late 1987 and early 1988, services to Malé and Toronto were introduced. In 1990, First Officer Maliha Sami became the first female pilot of PIA when she took off on the Karachi-Panjgur-Turbat-Gwadar route.

In the mid-1980s, PIA also helped establish Emirates by leasing two of its aircraft - an Airbus A300 and a Boeing 737-300 - as well as providing technical and administrative assistance to the new carrier.

1990s

In June 1991, the first of six A310-300 aircraft on order was delivered. With the new aircraft, the airline introduced flights to Tashkent in 1992 and to Zürich in 1993.

In March 1993, AVM Farooq Umar became MD PIA and also open skies from Karachi to Dubai were declared and 12 private air lines were allowed to operate domestically in Pakistan. Both steps came simultaneously and put great pressure on PIA's financial performance. Farooq Umar to meet the challenge, fought the battle of open skies and opened up six new routes to the Persian Gulf and CIS countries along with tourists attraction 'air safari'. He also made major changes in routes and schedules and started non stop flights from Lahore and Islamabad to JFK and Canada. PIA added Jakarta, Fujairah, Baku and Al-Ain to its destinations in 1994. In addition, PIA became a client of three flight-reservation systems, namely: Sabre, Galileo and Amadeus. 'Air Safari' flights were launched in 1994 using Boeing 737–300 aircraft that used to fly over the Karakoram mountain range. Farooq Umar handed over PIA to another MD in March 1996, closing his tenure with great success and leaving PIA profitable with a profit for the previous six months of more than 55 million PKR. After his departure PIA started to nose dive. PIA purchased a Boeing 747 flight simulator to train its pilots. It also purchased another used Airbus A300 aircraft. A Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft was also leased briefly in 1996 to cope with a surge in passenger traffic during summer 1996. Flights to Beirut were resumed the same year as well.

In 1999, PIA leased five Boeing 747-300 aircraft from Cathay Pacific to replace its Boeing 747-200M fleet. The aircraft were painted with a new livery, a handwork Pashmina tail, on white body and large Pakistan titles on the front fuselage. The livery was adopted in early 90s but due to some copyright issues it 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 early 1990s livery.

2000s

In July 2002, PIA purchased six Boeing 747-300 aircraft from Cathay Pacific, five of which were already on lease. The sixth one arrived shortly afterwards and was used mainly on its North American and European routes. In October 2002, after a period of ten years without any new orders, the airline placed an order for eight Boeing 777 aircraft. The order included all three variants of 777, i.e. 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.

Boeing delivered the first of three 777-200ER aircraft to PIA in January 2004. PIA introduced a new livery for the 777-200ERs that was applied to most of its fleet. PIA also leased six more Airbus A310-300 aircraft directly from Airbus. On 3 November 2005, PIA placed an order to purchase seven ATR 42-500 aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Fokker F27 Friendships. On 6 December 2005, PIA acquired another new Boeing 777-200ER on a ten-year lease. The aircraft was delivered in January 2007 to the airline.

On 25 February 2006, Boeing delivered its first 777-200LR to PIA, when it flew from Everett to Islamabad via Manchester. With the induction of long range aircraft in its fleet, PIA started offering non-stop flights from Toronto to Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore from 3 March 2006. PIA had also planned non-stop flights to New York, Chicago, Washington, and Houston but was not given permission by US authorities (unless the airline implemented a European stopover on the flight to American cities). Only the New York flight remains, and it only is nonstop on the way back to Pakistan (from Pakistan to New York the flight stops in Manchester). Washington service ended in the 1990s, Houston services ended in 2006, and Chicago service ended in 2012.

ATR delivered two of the seven ordered ATR 42s to PIA in May and December 2006 respectively, following which the airline ceased using military Lockheed C-130 Hercules for passenger services in northern areas of Pakistan. The military aircraft were being used after the PIA Flight 688 accident. On 23 December 2006, PIA took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER.

On 5 March 2007, the European Commission banned all but 9 of PIA's 42-strong fleet from flying to Europe citing safety concerns over its aging aircraft. The ban was imposed following an on-site visit led by Federico Grandini, the European Commission’s Air Safety Administrator. The fleet of Boeing 777s was exempted from the ban. PIA claimed that the ban was discriminatory and unjustifiable. On 26 March 2007, Tariq Saeed Kirmani was forced to resign after pressure from higher authorities because of the EU ban. Zafar Khan was appointed as the new chairman of Pakistan International Airlines.

The ban on some of the aircraft was lifted after a period of four months on 5 July 2007, following an inspection by the European Union Air Safety Administration. Of the eleven aircraft, five were Boeing 747-300s and the remaining six were Airbus A310-300s. On 29 November 2007, the EU completely removed the ban and PIA's entire fleet was permitted to fly to Europe. To avoid such an incident in future, PIA signed a deal to lease seven new Airbus A320-200s. The aircraft were supposed to be delivered during 2008 and 2009 but the deal was cancelled.

2010s

In 2010, PIA altered its livery. The tail design was replaced with a much larger version of the Pakistan national flag, and added the text "Pakistan international" in gold writing underneath the large billboard style PIA on the fuselage. The green stripe was modified to include gold and was extended to the rear of the fuselage.

In 2014, PIA leased four Boeing 737-800s. PIA also issued a request for tender for four Boeing 777-300ERs. The airline also wanted to lease four ATR aircraft. However, the bids for the 777s were not accepted due to bidding standards. Later, The airline managed to lease Airbus A320 aircraft, and inducted two A320-214 series aircraft in its fleet in 2014. Another wet leased A320-211 aircraft joined PIA on August 11, 2014. In October 2014, the airline again wet leased three Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and it also accepted bids to dry lease five ATR 72-500 series aircraft for an eight-year period. In 2015, after serving PIA for 16 years, the Boeing 747-300s were phased out.

In August 2016, PIA launched a new "Premier Service" for flights to London, using an Airbus A330-300 wet-leased from SriLankan Airlines. The wet-lease period ended after 6 months and as a result, A330-300 was returned to SriLankan Airlines.

The remaining five Boeing 777-300ERs order made in 2002 was postponed indefinitely. In January 2017, PIA retired all of the Airbus A310-300s from its fleet. For replacement, PIA leased four Boeing 737-800 from Pegasus Airlines.

Corporate management

Structure

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) is majority owned by the Government of Pakistan (87%) while the remainder (13%) by private shareholders. The airline is under the administration of Ministry of Defence the chairman of which was Muhammad Mian Nawaz Sharif. 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: an Audit Committee, Brand and Advertising Committee, Finance Committee, and Human Resource Committee each having its own charter and chairman. The MD leads the executive management of staff who run the airline. The airline's main headquarters are located at Karachi Airport while smaller sub head offices are located in several cities within Pakistan.

Privatization

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 its privatization 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 privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). However, no agreement was reached. The government has had many plans for the privatization of the State owned airline. However, no reasonable agreement or solution has been found to this day. On 18 February 2009 the carrier was dropped from the privatization list.

In year 2013, Government of Pakistan once again aimed to privatize the airline due to increased losses by selling twenty six percent of shares & management control to the investor.

Financial performance

The following table gives the key financial results for 2011 along with those since 2004. The financial performance for FY 2011 continues to be a challenge with an after-tax loss of PKR 26.767 billion. This was preceded by six consecutive loss-making years dating back to 2005. 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 Rupee and higher revenues. But in 2010 & 2011, losses again rose sharply compared to the previous years.

The airline faces many challenges to its profitability such as staffing levels and overall management issues. An employee count of 18,014 for a fleet of 40 aircraft is an area for review.

To increase revenue, the Prime Minister of Pakistan approved a fleet modernisation, consisting of twenty new-generation narrow-body aircraft; four Boeing 777-300ERs and four ATR 72-500 turboprops. These aircraft will replace the older fleet of PIA. An A310 consumes $5,500 of oil whereas a 737-900ER would consume $2,500 worth of oil. In addition, with a load factor of 85% and 12.5 hours of aircraft usage daily, an additional 72 billion rupees or 720 million dollars of revenue would be achieved. This will also greatly decrease the employee-to-aircraft ratio which currently sits at 776 per aircraft, one of the highest in the world. Moreover, the Boeing 777 will be used on long routes instead of short routes. This would help reduce the cost of engine overhaul, which is based on flight cycles. Lastly, 35 employees making 1 million rupees per month will also be audited.

In recent years, PIA revenue and source of income has been dropping significantly. In 2010, PIA carried 1,454,000 kg of mail. In 2013, PIA managed just 648,000 of mail. Additionally, PIA's revenue from excess baggage, passenger load factor and passenger kilometer flow are among many that have been declining steadily.

In 2011, about 81% of revenue was from passenger traffic and only 5% from cargo. Another 7.8% was from food and beverage sales. The remaining 6% was from various sources including excess baggage charges; air charter services; aircraft maintenance engineering services; ground handling and related services; and carriage of mail.

Destinations

As of September 2016, PIA serves 22 domestic and 28 international destinations in 28 countries across Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America. Dubai is a major focus city for the airline with flights from Dera Ghazi Khan, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Quetta.

Codeshare agreements

PIA have codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

• China Southern Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airlines

Fleet

As of July 2017 the Pakistan International Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Registration Numbers

Livery

In December 2003 PIA introduced a new image that was applied to its first Boeing 777-200ER and on two newly leased Airbus A310s, one of which was in service. The livery was white at the front and beige at the rear separated by a dark green stripe. The tail was painted white with a new typeface PIA acronym written in dark green. The Pakistan title was added to the front fuselage in all raised letters and the engine cowlings were painted in beige. The PIA logo written in calligraphic Urdu was added just behind the cockpit.

However, due to criticism the design was modified before the first Boeing 777 was delivered. The tail logo was replaced by a flowing Pakistan flag on a beige background. The "Pakistan" titles were removed and the PIA acronym was enlarged and moved onto the fuselage. The engines and Urdu PIA titles remained the same. The leased A310s and most of the PIA fleet also adopted this livery at a later date. In early 2006 the airline launched four new tail designs for its fleet. The tails represented the four provinces of Pakistan: Sindh, Punjab, Khyber 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, which reflected a tradition of embroidery generally done on shawls, shirts and linen. The "Punjab" tail was loosely related to the tile decoration of the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore. The "Balochistan" tail showed the creativity seen in the local kilims, carpets and rugs woven with wool, goat or camel hair and mixed yarn. The pattern was mostly bold geometric motifs in primary colours dominated by red. The "Sindh" tail was influenced by the Hala tile work with electric blue and white floral patterns. In 2009 management stopped the application of provincial tails, deeming them too costly.

PIA launched its new livery in 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 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 too is 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 stylized Urdu PIA logo as well as on the engines. Underneath, 'Pakistan' is written in bold on the aircraft belly.

In July 2014, on delivery of the first A320 series aircraft, PIA introduced a "crescent and star" on the aircraft engines' cowlings in place of the Urdu PIA logo. In 2015, after the completion of sixty years service to the nation, a retro livery was introduced. Three of the Airbus A320s (reg. AP-BLA, AP-BLT and AP-BLU) and a Boeing 777-200ER (AP-BMG) were painted in the airline's 1960s livery.

Former fleet

Services

Cabin

PIA operates a three-class configuration on its domestic routes: Business, Economy Plus+ and Economy. On international flights a two class configuration, Business and Economy class, has remained popular. PIA Business passengers are offered lie-flat bed seats on all Boeing 777 as well as selected Airbus A310 aircraft. Recliners are offered on board the Airbus A320 and select Airbus A310 aircraft. In Economy Class, all passengers on the Boeing 777 are offered seats with a 31-inch legroom and personal entertainment screens in a 3-3-3 configuration. On the Airbus A320, leather seats in a 3-3 configuration are offered. As of 2015, PIA is adding new Business Class seats on board the Boeing 777-200LR, which will be 180 degree lie-flat Solstys seats with bigger IFE screens, in a 1-2-1 configuration, giving direct aisle access to all passengers.

Catering

PIA Catering is the main supplier of meals for the airline. It can produce 15,000 passenger meals each day. However, since 2006, the management of the flight kitchens has been given to Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS).

PIA Catering provides special meals to allow for passengers' dietary and religious needs. PIA does not serve Alcohol beverages on its flights, nor is pork served on board because of Islamic law.

PIA Premier service

PIA Premier was launched as a luxury air service on 14 August 2016. An Airbus A330 aircraft was initially wet-leased from SriLankan Airlines to operate the service. There were six weekly flights to London, three each from Islamabad and Lahore. PIA decided to drop the service due to it running at a loss and the A330 was returned to SriLankan.

In-flight magazine

The PIA in-flight magazine, Humsafar (Urdu for "travel companion"), is provided to all passengers on all flights. Humsafar was introduced in 1980 and is printed and published in-house bi-monthly.

In-flight Intranet

In January 2017 the airline began trialing an on-board internet Intranet system to deliver in-flight entertainment on some domestic flights. The system allows passengers to access a selection of in-flight entertainment content using their own mobile devices.

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 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.

Cargo operations

PIA operates a cargo delivery system within Pakistan. 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.

During the early 1970s, PIA operated a service called "Air Express" that delivered documents and parcels within Pakistan. In 1974, PIA launched a dedicated cargo division within its organisation using two Boeing 707-320C. This division was known as "Pakistan International Cargo". The airline operated a number of cargo flights to the Middle East such as Dubai and Europe especially London. The operations ended in the late 1990s when both aircraft were phased out. During 2004 to 2007, the airline did again operate two Airbus A300 Freighter aircraft chartered through MNG Airlines to Haan. Luton, Amsterdam, Basel and Cologne. However again the contract ended and PIA discontinued this service.

In 2003, the airline launched "PIA Speedex", a courier service in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad initially. This later expanded twelve cities within a year. Today, the airline offers over 70 locations within Pakistan, with shipments collected and delivered from customers homes.

Corporate sponsorship

The airline has sponsored events, both within Pakistan and in its overseas markets.

In the 1990s, the airline launched the three green stripe livery to represent its support for sports. The airline supports the Pakistan International Airlines first-class cricket team that plays in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and Patron's Trophy. PIA sponsors the PIA football club, and the A1 Team Pakistan in the A1 Grand Prix 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 Planetariums in Karachi and Lahore that 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.

Charter and special services

Charter services

PIA operates private charter flights using ATR 42s to Bhit, Kadanwari and Sehwan Sharif in Sindh as well as to other parts of the country for oil and gas companies and other customers. Ad hoc charters for United Nations peacekeeping troops are also carried out to Africa and Eastern Europe, Asia (South Korea, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, East Timor) and many other international destinations; PIA Charter Team provides these services.

Hajj and Umrah operations

PIA (Pakistan international) operates a two-month (pre- and post-) Hajj operation each year to and from Jeddah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. PIA transports over 100,000 intending pilgrims each year from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan and Sialkot to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with its fleet of jet aircraft.

State officials transportation

PIA has been continuously serving government officials of Pakistan, and has always transported the President and Prime Minister on overseas visits. During the late 1990s, a PIA Boeing 737–300 was used for official visits by the Bhutto- and Sharif governments. The aircraft wore official government colours but was later repainted in the airline official colours at the end of the decade. When the government changed after a military coup in 1999, the Boeing 737-300 was transferred to PIA permanently. The President and Prime Minister then resorted to using two of PIA's Airbus A310-300s for official visits, while rare trips were done on regular commercial flights of the airline. In February 2007 the government of Qatar gifted an Airbus A310 from its VIP fleet to the Pakistani government, this ended the need for the use of PIA aircraft. However, from time to time the government uses one of the airline's Airbus A320s, or occasionally a Boeing 777, for official trips.

Incidents and accidents

See also

• List of airlines of Pakistan
• Transport in Pakistan

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32. http://www.piac.com.pk/pia_about/profiles/2014/PIA-Annual-Report-2014-23052015.pdf
33. "Profile on Pakistan International Airlines". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
34. ^ Mohammed Firaas (1 January 2017). "The Airbus A310s have been in PIA's fleet since Jun '91. Today we say goodbye" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 January 2017 – via Twitter.
35. "PIA - Aircraft Seating Configuration". www.piac.com.pk. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
36. ^ "PIA A320 AP-BLA". www.jetphotos.net. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
37. ^ "PIA A320 AP-BLU". www.jetphotos.net. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
38. ^ "PIA A320 AP-BLT". www.jetphotos.net. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
39. "PIA's new Boeing makes inaugural flight". Dawn. Karachi. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
40. "PIA launches four new tails". Piac.com.pk. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
41. "Major Airlines that Don't Serve Alcohol". ShawnVoyage.
42. APP (14 August 2016). "PM Nawaz inaugurates PIA Premier on Pakistan's 70th Independence Day". Retrieved 14 August 2016.
43. "PIA launches new inflight system". Daily Times. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
44. "Enjoy the spectacular shandur Polo Gala 2007-07-07". Piac.com.pk. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
45. "PIA: Make Pakistan Your Next Destination, 2007". Piac.com.pk. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
46. Standard Charted – PIA Credit Card on YouTube. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
47. PRI-PIA alliance to help boost remittance inflows through banking channels: Shaukat Tarin – Accessed 2009-12-29. Associated Press of Pakistan.
48. "Corporate Social Responsibility within PIA". Piac.com.pk. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
49. PIA & McDonalds Alliance Deal for Ramadan
50. PIA Annual Report 2008–2009 PIA Press Releases. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
51. PIA signs agreement with PC Dubai Daily Times. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
52. "Photos: Boeing 737-33A Aircraft Pictures - Airliners.net". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
53. "Photos: Airbus A310-304 Aircraft Pictures - Airliners.net". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
54. "PIA - Pakistan International". Pakistan News. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
55. "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
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57. "Hijacking in Karachi; Hijacking wasn't first try". The New York Times. 7 September 1986. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
58. Mishra, Sidharth (1997). Where Gallantry is Tradition: Saga of Rashtriya Indian Military College. Allied Publishers. p. 153. ISBN 978-81-7023-649-8.
59. "History of PIA - Pakistan International Airlines". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
60. "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 AP-AUX Peshawar Airport 23 October 1986". Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
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62. "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-27 Friendship 200 AP-BBF Himalaya Mountains 25 August 1989". Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
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66. "The Aviation Herald". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
67. http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4a1c2ee4&opt=6144

External links

Media related to Pakistan International Airlines at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website

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See also

• List of airlines of Pakistan
• Transport in Pakistan

References

External links

Media related to Pakistan International Airlines at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website

v t e Cabinet Secretariat (Pakistan)
Aviation Division	Bureau of Air Safety Investigation Civil Aviation Authority Airports Security Force Pakistan Airports Authority Pakistan Meteorological Department Pakistan International Airlines Corporation
Cabinet Division	Cabinet Committee on National Security Economic Coordination Committee National Archives of Pakistan Pakistan Tourism Development Corp Printing Corporation of Pakistan Gazette of Pakistan Department of Communications Security Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority National Electric Power Regulatory Authority Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Special Technology Zones Authority Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority National Documentation Wing Frequency Allocation Board
Establishment Division	Federal Public Service Commission Civil Services Academy Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance Fund Akthar Hameed Khan National Centre for Rural Development National School of Public Policy Pakistan Academy for Rural Development Management Services Wing Secretariat Training Institute Staff Welfare Organization
Poverty Alleviation Division	Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal BISP PPAF
Ministries of the Federal Government of Pakistan

v t e Members of the International Air Transport Association
Africa and the Middle East Region Africa World Airlines AfriJet Air Algérie Air Arabia Air Botswana Air Burkina Air Cairo Air Madagascar Air Mauritius Air Peace Air Seychelles Air Tanzania Airlink Allied Air AlMasria Universal Airlines ASKY Airlines Badr Airlines Camair-Co Congo Airways DHL International Aviation ME Egyptair Emirates Ethiopian Airlines Etihad Airways Fly Baghdad Flydubai FlyEgypt Flynas Gulf Air Iran Air Iran Airtour Iran Aseman Airlines Jazeera Airways Jordan Aviation Kam Air Kenya Airways Kuwait Airways LAM Mozambique Airlines Mauritania Airlines Middle East Airlines Nesma Airlines Nile Air Nouvelair Oman Air Overland Airways Precision Air Qatar Airways Royal Air Maroc Royal Jordanian RwandAir Safair Saudia South African Airways Syrian Air TAAG Angola Airlines Tassili Airlines Tunisair
Asia-Pacific Region Air Calédonie Air India Air New Zealand Air Niugini Air Tahiti Air Tahiti Nui Aircalin All Nippon Airways Asiana Airlines Bamboo Airways Bangkok Airways Batik Air Batik Air Malaysia Biman Bangladesh Airlines Cambodia Angkor Air Cebu Pacific Fiji Airways Garuda Indonesia IndiGo Japan Airlines Japan Transocean Air Jeju Air Jin Air Korean Air Lao Airlines Malaysia Airlines Myanmar Airways International Nippon Cargo Airlines Pakistan International Airlines Philippine Airlines Qantas Royal Brunei Airlines Scoot Singapore Airlines Solomon Airlines SpiceJet SriLankan Airlines T'way Air Thai Airways International Thai Lion Air Thai Smile VietJet Air Vietnam Airlines Virgin Australia Vistara
China and North Asia Region Air Changan Air China Air Guilin Air Koryo Air Macau Beijing Capital Airlines Cathay Pacific China Airlines China Cargo Airlines China Eastern Airlines China Express Airlines China Postal Airlines China Southern Airlines EVA Air Fuzhou Airlines GX Airlines Hainan Airlines Hebei Airlines Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong Express Juneyao Air Kunming Airlines Loong Air Lucky Air Mandarin Airlines MIAT Mongolian Airlines Okay Airways Ruili Airlines SF Airlines Shandong Airlines Shanghai Airlines Shenzhen Airlines Sichuan Airlines Suparna Airlines Tianjin Airlines UNI Air Urumqi Air West Air XiamenAir YTO Cargo Airlines
Europe Region Aegean Airlines Aer Lingus Aeroflot Air Astana Air Austral airBaltic Air Caraïbes Air Corsica Air Dolomiti Air Europa Air France Air Malta Air Moldova Air Montenegro Air Nostrum Air Serbia AirBridgeCargo AlbaStar Amapola Flyg Amelia (Regourd Aviation) APG Airlines Arkia ASL Airlines Belgium ASL Airlines France ASL Airlines Ireland Atlantic Airways Austrian Airlines Azerbaijan Airlines Azores Airlines Belavia Binter Canarias Braathens Regional Aviation British Airways Brussels Airlines Bulgaria Air Cargolux Carpatair Challenge Airlines IL CityJet Condor Corendon Airlines Corsair International Croatia Airlines Cyprus Airways Czech Airlines DHL Air UK Eastern Airways Edelweiss Air El Al EuroAtlantic Airways European Air Transport Leipzig Eurowings Finnair FlyOne Freebird Airlines French Bee Georgian Airways Hi Fly Iberia Iberojet Icelandair Israir ITA Airways KLM La Compagnie LOT Polish Airlines Lufthansa Cargo CityLine Luxair Martinair MNG Airlines Neos NordStar Nordwind Airlines Olympic Air Pegas Fly Pegasus Airlines Portugália Airlines Poste Air Cargo Privilege Style Qazaq Air Rossiya Airlines RusLine S7 Airlines SATA Air Açores Scandinavian Airlines SCAT Airlines Silk Way West Airlines Smartavia Smartwings Somon Air SunExpress Swiss International Air Lines TAP Air Portugal TAROM TUIfly Turkish Airlines Ukraine International Airlines Ural Airlines Utair Uzbekistan Airways Virgin Atlantic Volotea Vueling Wamos Air White Airways Widerøe World2Fly
The Americas Region ABX Air Aerolíneas Argentinas Aeromar Aeroméxico Air Canada Air Transat Alaska Airlines American Airlines Atlas Air Avianca Avianca Costa Rica Avianca Ecuador Avianca El Salvador Azul Brazilian Airlines Bahamasair Boliviana de Aviación Cargojet Caribbean Airlines Copa Airlines Copa Airlines Colombia (Aero República) Cubana de Aviación Delta Air Lines Eastern Airlines FedEx Express Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue LATAM Airlines Group LATAM Brasil LATAM Cargo Brasil LATAM Cargo Chile LATAM Colombia LATAM Ecuador LATAM Paraguay LATAM Perú Mas Air National Airlines Paranair Polar Air Cargo Ravn Alaska Sky Airline United Airlines UPS Airlines Voepass Linhas Aéreas Volaris WestJet

• Use Pakistani English from December 2012
• Use dmy dates from December 2012
• Pakistan International Airlines
• Airlines established in 1955
• Airlines of Pakistan
• Government-owned airlines
• IATA members
• Government-owned companies of Pakistan
• Pakistani brands
• 1955 establishments in Pakistan
• Pakistan federal departments and agencies
• Airlines which has banned alcoholic beverages on flights