Pakistan International Arlines (PIA) : News / Updates

[PK781]

Air India also is the larger airline with the bigger challenge technically - PIA is basically a minnow of a mess with a microcosm of air traffic compared to what Air India has to deal with.

With Air India you’re trying to turn a full-scale flag carrier into something that can actually fight it out with the big boys on long-haul, while also not falling apart on the domestic side. PIA is a cleanup job on a small, politically tangled, chronically under-scaled carrier. Air India is a high-stakes rebuild of a network, fleet, brand, and culture at a size that actually matters globally.

What was his alternative with PIA btw? To sit in Islamabad, or Karachi, waiting upon some worthy for “security clearance,” while the files moved at the speed of our usual national lethargy, and every retired air marshal explained how he would have done it better??

On a resume - Air India is a sentence. PIA is an embarrassing footnote. One is a country trying, however clumsily, to put a serious carrier back in the sky. The other is a country that cannot keep a park, a pavement, or a public enterprise without first looting it and then composing a patriotic song about the remains.

with the right team of professionals and proper/good management and the necessary financial injection of the privatization promises, I am sure it can be turned around to be a viable airline once the proper network gets restored with better fleet induction and modernization. Obviously there is a need to do things properly and not take forever to do something.

 

[Owaiz]

Air India also is the larger airline with the bigger challenge technically - PIA is basically a minnow of a mess with a microcosm of air traffic compared to what Air India has to deal with.

With Air India you’re trying to turn a full-scale flag carrier into something that can actually fight it out with the big boys on long-haul, while also not falling apart on the domestic side. PIA is a cleanup job on a small, politically tangled, chronically under-scaled carrier. Air India is a high-stakes rebuild of a network, fleet, brand, and culture at a size that actually matters globally.

What was his alternative with PIA btw? To sit in Islamabad, or Karachi, waiting upon some worthy for “security clearance,” while the files moved at the speed of our usual national lethargy, and every retired air marshal explained how he would have done it better??

On a resume - Air India is a sentence. PIA is an embarrassing footnote. One is a country trying, however clumsily, to put a serious carrier back in the sky. The other is a country that cannot keep a park, a pavement, or a public enterprise without first looting it and then composing a patriotic song about the remains.

You cannot really compare Air India to PIA . Air India is a completely private airline, fully owned by Tatas and Singapore Airlines, who both have extensive experience in the airlines business and the Indian government has no interest in or influence over it, apart from the regulatory oversight it also has over other private airlines. PIA is still under de facto control of the government/establishment.

 

[Ali_Baba]

with the right team of professionals and proper/good management and the necessary financial injection of the privatization promises, I am sure it can be turned around to be a viable airline once the proper network gets restored with better fleet induction and modernization. Obviously there is a need to do things properly and not take forever to do something.

I would argue that the management of the PIA need to sort out the people first, and the processes, it's IT systems before getting new platforms(planes). The whole company is littered with hangers on and political appointees, that need to be "performance" managed out, etc.

 

[PK781]

unfortunately many capable and professional officers in PIA were sidelined and not relied on, while those on political/nepotism hiring were brought forward and prioritized and put in positions they do not deserve or can handle and work in.
Corruption did not help the matters by all the Govts

Even with this privatization there is still the fauji fertilizer(military) people that will keep eye and do their meddling in PIA. I just hope those idiots can do a better job than those before them and allow professional people to run the airline properly.

Time will tell, for now its looking like a turtle start

 

[Oscar]

with the right team of professionals and proper/good management and the necessary financial injection of the privatization promises, I am sure it can be turned around to be a viable airline once the proper network gets restored with better fleet induction and modernization. Obviously there is a need to do things properly and not take forever to do something.

Lots of IFs with no historical proof or precedent of the Pakistani system being able to deliver those "IFs"

You cannot really compare Air India to PIA . Air India is a completely private airline, fully owned by Tatas and Singapore Airlines, who both have extensive experience in the airlines business and the Indian government has no interest in or influence over it, apart from the regulatory oversight it also has over other private airlines. PIA is still under de facto control of the government/establishment.

The comparison comes in play when you are asking an individual to commit precious years of the executive career in something.

 

[Watandar]

I think Biman more likely to get these 787's as they already operate them.

Norwegian low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways is in discussions with two Asian airlines for a long-term lease of up to six of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners . This comes as IndiGoo abruptly pulled the pin on a damp lease agreement for six of its aircraft, citing challenging geopolitical tensions and airspace constraints.

This will see the Norwegian long-haul low-cost airline look for a new partner to lease out the 787, which it inherited from Norwegian, as it looks to improve its financial position. Norse is currently hitting headlines as the budget carrier continues to struggle with low cash reserves and rising fuel costs.

Norse Atlantic Airways: PIA & Biman Bangladesh Could Be The Saving Grace​

Credit: Shutterstock
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According to Bloomberg News, Norse Atlantic is currently in negotiations with two Asian carriers, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines, where the carriers are working through various lease agreements for up to six of its 787s. The terms of the lease agreements remain unclear, but could range from a dry lease (just the aircraft) to a wet lease (including crew, maintenance, and insurance).

As already mentioned, this comes as IndiGo pulled the plug on its damp lease agreement with Norse and is currently transitioning its services from India to Europe with the Airbus A321XLR. The agreement between the two airlines is expected to end on October 31. Norse is now looking to lease aircraft to the two previously mentioned Asian carriers to generate stable revenue and offset dwindling cash reserves.

Leasing aircraft, whether through a dry or wet lease agreement, should provide the Norwegian carrier with consistent revenue and help it return to a surplus through this guaranteed income.

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Additional Aircraft For Continued Expansion​

Credit: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying
According to Airways Magazine, PAI's desire to negotiate a lease agreement with Norse comes as the largest airline in Pakistan looks to expand its widebody fleet for long-haul operations. By leasing these planes, it would ensure quick delivery and the ability to scale up international capacity without waiting for new aircraft.

PIA said its board recently approved arrangements to acquire more widebody aircraft to increase capacity for flights to Europe, and leasing the ready-to-fly 787 could immediately address capacity shortfalls. For Biman, the Bangladeshi airline is expressing interest in Norse aircraft to fill a major capacity gap, as the airline awaits new Boeing jets not due until the next decade.

Biman is seeking around 10 aircraft as it faces a continued fleet shortage and a strong desire to launch new international routes, according to Prothom Alo. The carrier already operates the 787-8 and 787-9, with two additional 787-9 and eight 787-10 on order.

 

[Watandar]

PIA could fly from Islamabad to London Heathrow 5 times a week, starting in October. If they were smart they would do a code-share with a US airline to get some USA traffic as well. Another good option would be to increase the frequency of the Canada-Pakistan flights.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the state-owned airline, announces an increase in its flight connections to Great Britain for the upcoming winter flight schedule 2026/2027.​

From October 25, 2026, the airline will increase the number of weekly flights from the capital, Islamabad, to London Heathrow from three to five. At the same time, the frequency from the eastern Pakistani metropolis of Lahore will be doubled, resulting in two weekly flights to London. Both routes will be operated with Boeing 777-200ER long-haul aircraft.

The capacity expansion comes as the airline gradually normalizes its international flight operations to Europe. After several years of restrictions and reviews by international aviation authorities, the airline is attempting to regain lost market share on key long-haul routes to Western Europe. Connections to the UK, in particular, are considered a significant source of revenue for the state-owned company due to the large Pakistani diaspora in the region.

Aviation analysts view the expansion of flight numbers as a logical step toward consolidating the route network, but simultaneously point to the company's ongoing financial and operational burdens. PIA has been struggling for years with high debt, legacy issues, and delays in restructuring and privatization. Maintaining operational wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 requires reliable fleet maintenance and spare parts supply, which is likely to test the operational stability of the flight schedule during the winter season.


Furthermore, the airline faces competition from established network airlines in the Gulf region, which hold significant passenger shares on routes between Pakistan and Europe. Whether increasing the number of direct flights to London Heathrow will be sufficient to sustainably improve profitability depends largely on aircraft load factors and pricing in the international passenger market.