Pakistan International Airlines (; abbreviated PIA, ) is an international airline that serves as the flag carrier of Pakistan under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation. Its central hub is Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, while Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore and Islamabad International Airport serve as secondary hubs.
PIA was founded on 29 October 1946 as Orient Airways, and was initially based in Calcutta, British India, before shifting operations to the newly independent state of Pakistan in 1947. Orient Airways was nationalised to form the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC). The new airline commenced international services in 1955 to London, via Cairo and Rome. PIA, in 1964 became the first non-Communist airline to fly to China. The airline played a vital role in the establishment of Emirates Airline in 1985. In 2004, PIA became the launch customer of the Boeing 777-200LR. On 10 November 2005, PIA used the Boeing 777-200LR to complete the world's longest nonstop flight by a commercial airliner. This flight lasted 22 hours and 22 minutes on the eastbound route between Hong Kong and London.
PIA is Pakistan's largest airline and operates a fleet of more than 30 aircraft. The airline operates nearly 50 flights daily, servicing 20 domestic destinations and 27 international destinations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. In addition to commercial flight operations, PIA also owns the Sofitel Paris Scribe Hotel in Paris, and The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. The airline operates a frequent flier programme, PIA Awards +, and has several codeshare and interline agreements. However, it is not part of any airline alliance.
On 30 June 2020, PIA was banned from flying in European airspace initially for six months, starting on 1 July 2020, and then indefinitely after EASA determined that the airline was not capable of certifying and overseeing its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards. This decision was made soon after it was revealed that at least a fourth of all pilot's licences issued in Pakistan were not genuine. By 9 July 2020, the airline was also banned by the United Kingdom and the United States.
Early years
Pakistan International Airlines can trace its origins to the days when Pakistan had not gained independence and was still part of the British Raj until 1947. In the early 1930s, Imperial Airways operated its long-haul routes by creating a lot of small airports across Africa and Asia. The Handley Page H.P.42 aircraft was Imperial Airways' first major success, as it was specially designed to handle operations from unprepared ground.
In 1945, the country's founder Muhammed Ali Jinnah realised 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. As a result, the new airline, Orient Airways, was registered in Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) on 23 October 1946. Orient became the first and only Muslim-owned airline in the British Raj.
In February 1947, the airline bought three Douglas DC-3 aircraft and obtained a licence to fly in May of the same year. The airline started its operations on 30 June 1947, offering services in British India from Calcutta to Sittwe and Rangoon (present-day Yangon).
Post-independence
On 14 August 1947, Pakistan gained independence and Orient Airways started relief operations for the new country. The airline was entrusted with the task of servicing air routes between East and West Pakistan. By 1949, Orient acquired three Convair CV-240s to service the Karachi-Delhi-Calcutta-Dhaka route and became the first Asian airline to operate Convair aircraft.
1950s
Orient's traffic continuously declined until 1953 as Britain's BOAC had been granted rights to carry passengers between the two wings of Pakistan, while two other local competitors also began serving Orient routes. As a result of losses, the Pakistani government began subsidising Orient's operations through a 1952 contract for the purchase of three Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellations registered to the government's newly established subsidiary, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), at the cost of 25 million rupees. PIA had been established as a department of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority, and was tasked with operation and maintenance of the new Lockheed aircraft.