Airline profile · South Asia

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

PakistanFull-service carrierSince 1955

PKIATA code

PIAICAO code

Pakistan International Airlines (IATA PK, ICAO PIA) is Pakistan's flag carrier, based in Karachi with operations from Islamabad and Lahore. Long state-owned, it passed to a private consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation in 2026. It is not in a global alliance and flies an Airbus A320, Boeing 777 and ATR fleet.

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Founded: 1955
Headquarters: Karachi, Pakistan
Country: Pakistan
Main hubs: Jinnah International Airport, Karachi (KHI) · Islamabad International Airport (ISB) · Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore (LHE)
Airline type: Full-service carrier
Alliance: None
Ownership: Privatised in 2026. After a 23 December 2025 bid, a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation signed the share purchase agreement on 29 January 2026 and took management control at first closing in June 2026, with about 75%. It has served notice to buy the remaining 25% held by the Government of Pakistan.
Callsign: PAKISTAN
Website: piac.com.pk

How travel agents book Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

GDS distribution

No verified public statement of PIA's GDS distribution arrangements was found for this profile.

NDC

No public NDC programme details verified at time of writing.

Direct channels

Direct bookings are made on piac.com.pk, which offers web check-in and automated exchange and refund for web-booked tickets.

On ReservationHub

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is one of the direct airline connections listed on our integrations page, alongside GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) and NDC content. Agencies get it in the SaaS platform; developers through the Travel API.

History of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

PIA's roots go back to Orient Airways, founded in 1946 and moved to Pakistan after independence in 1947. Pakistan International Airlines began operations on 11 March 1955, when Orient Airways and the government's PIA were formally merged into a single state airline.

For most of its life PIA was state-controlled. In 2024 the airline was restructured, with legacy liabilities separated out, to prepare it for sale. A first divestment attempt did not complete. In the second attempt, the Privatisation Commission received expressions of interest from eight parties in June 2025 and prequalified four in July 2025.

At a public bidding on 23 December 2025, the consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited bid Rs 135 billion for a 75% stake, against a reference price of Rs 100 billion. The share purchase and subscription agreement was signed on 29 January 2026, and management control passed to the consortium at the first closing, announced on 29 June 2026. The consortium, which also includes Fatima Fertilizer, Lake City Holdings, The City School, AKD Group and Fauji Fertilizer, has exercised its option on the remaining 25%. Total committed investment is about Rs 180 billion, most of it new equity for the airline.

Milestones

1946Predecessor Orient Airways founded.
1955PIA began operations on 11 March after merging with Orient Airways.
2024Restructured by the government to prepare for privatisation.
2025Arif Habib consortium won the 23 December bid with Rs 135 billion for 75%.
2026Share purchase agreement signed on 29 January.
2026Management control transferred to the private consortium at first closing in June.

Fleet

Airbus A320-200 Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777-200LR Boeing 777-300ER ATR 42-500

Aircraft types in service as of 2026

PIA flies Airbus A320-200s on domestic and regional routes, Boeing 777-200ER, 777-200LR and 777-300ER aircraft on long-haul and Gulf services, and ATR 42-500 turboprops on short domestic sectors. Exact counts vary between public sources. The new owners have said the Rs 125 billion equity injection will support fleet expansion and modernisation.

Network and hubs

PIA is based in Karachi and also runs significant operations from Islamabad and Lahore. Its network covers domestic routes across Pakistan, frequent services to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, and long-haul flights serving the Pakistani diaspora.

The privatisation plan links the new equity to route development as well as fleet growth, so the network may change quickly after the 2026 change of ownership. Agents should check current schedules rather than rely on historic route lists.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA): frequently asked questions

What are PIA's IATA and ICAO codes?

Pakistan International Airlines uses the IATA code PK and the ICAO code PIA, with the radio callsign PAKISTAN. Its ticket prefix in the IATA register is 214. Flight numbers on booking screens appear as PK followed by digits.

Has PIA been privatised?

Yes. A consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited won the bid on 23 December 2025 with Rs 135 billion for a 75% stake. The agreement was signed on 29 January 2026, and management control transferred at first closing in June 2026. The consortium is buying the remaining 25% from the government.

Where is PIA based?

PIA is headquartered in Karachi, where Jinnah International Airport is its main base. It also runs large operations from Islamabad and Lahore, which serve many of its Gulf, Saudi and long-haul flights. Check the departure city carefully, because some international routes run only from certain cities.

Is PIA in an airline alliance?

No. PIA is not a member of Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam. It may have bilateral codeshare or interline agreements with individual airlines, so agents should check interline eligibility for each itinerary rather than assume alliance benefits.

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Sources

Profile updated 4 November 2026 by the ReservationHub team. Airline details change: confirm schedules, fares and policies with the airline before booking. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.