Pakistan International Airlines

‫پاکستان انٹرنیشنل ایئر لئنز‬

Pakistan
International
Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign From Wikipedia, the free
PK PIA PAKISTAN
encyclopedia

Pakistan International Airlines

Founded 1946 (as Orient Airways)
Corporation, commonly known

as PIA, is the flag carrier

Hubs Jinnah International Airport(Karachi)
airline of Pakistan.[2] The airline,

with its head office on the

 Allama Iqbal International Airport (Lahore)
Secondary hubs
grounds of Jinnah International

 Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Karachi,[3] operates

Airport (Islamabad) scheduled services to 24

domestic destinations and 39

Focus cities  Peshawar International Airport
international destinations in 25
 Multan International Airport
countries across Asia, Europe
 Faisalabad International Airport
and North America.[4] Its main
 Quetta International Airport
bases are at
 Sialkot International Airport
Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad/

Rawalpindi. PIA has been ranked

 Dubai International Airport
as a 3 Star Airline by Skytrax, the
Frequent-flyer PIA Awards Plus+
world's official Airline and Airport
program
reviewer.[5]

Subsidiaries  Roosevelt Hotel

The airline's secondary bases
 Scribe Hotel
include Peshawar, Faisalabad, Q
 Skyrooms (Private) Limited uetta, Sialkot and Multan, from

which it connects the

 PIA Investments Limited
metropolitan cities with the main
Fleet size 43 + (27 planned) bases, the Middle East and

Destinations 63 incl.cargo
the Far East. The airline is

owned by the Government of

Company slogan "Great People to Fly With"
Pakistan (87%) and other
"Come Fly With Us"
shareholders (13%). It employed

18,043 people as of May 2008.

Parent company Ministry of Defence(Government of Pakistan)[1]
[Citation needed]

Headquarters Jinnah International Airport

Contents
Karachi, Pakistan

Key people  Ahmad Mukhtar, Chairman

 Capt. Aijaz Haroon, MD

Website www.piac.com.pk
 [hide]

• 1 History

o 1.1 Expansion

• 2 Corporate management

o 2.1 Structure

o 2.2 Privatisation

o 2.3 Financial performance

• 3 Destinations

o 3.1 Code share partners

• 4 Fleet

o 4.1 Fleet developments

o 4.2 Livery

• 5 Services

o 5.1 Cabin

o 5.2 Newspapers and magazines

o 5.3 Frequent flyer programme

o 5.4 Catering

• 6 Cargo operations

• 7 Corporate sponsorship

• 8 Achievements and recognitions

• 9 Special operations

o 9.1 Charter services

o 9.2 Hajj and Umrah operations

o 9.3 State officials transportation

• 10 Incidents and accidents

• 11 See also

• 12 References

• 13 External links

[edit]History

'Pakistan International Airlines', or 'PIA' for short, can trace its beginnings to the days when Pakistan

was not an independent state. In 1946Muhammed Ali Jinnah realised the need for an airline network for

the forming country and called upon the help of an industrialist Mirza Ahmad Ispahani 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. [Citation needed] 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.

PIA L1049C Super Constellation at London (Heathrow) Airport in 1955

A Convair CV-240 in the 1950s at Karachi airport

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[6] 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 Constellations 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. [7] The aircraft were wet leased from Pan American and in 1961 services were begun to John

F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. In 1962, orders were placed forBoeing 720s, Fokker

F27s 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[7] during its delivery

flight[citation needed]from Seattle, piloted by PIA's senior Captain Abdullah Baig, a record unbroken to this

day[7]. 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.
[7]
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 Tridents.

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[8] and lost

a couple of its aircraft to Indian Air Force fighters.[9]. In 1972 it applied to operate to Libya and an

agreement was signed with Yugoslav airline JAT. In 1973, McDonnell Douglas DC-10s arrived and were

used by the airline before they were replaced by Boeing 707-300s. 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 747-200Bs 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 Fokker F27 was once the backbone of PIA's northern area flights in the 1990s[10]

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 737-300s 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

addedJakarta, 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.

[edit]Expansion

Boeing 747-300 on finals to London Heathrow Airport, England

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.

External videos

A promotional video by PIA on delivery of the Boeing 777

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.[citation needed] 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 flights 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.

A pair of Boeing 747s stored at Sialkot in 2008 during the EU restrictions. However, once the ban was lifted the aircraft were

back in use on all routes

On 5 March 2007, the European Commission, following an on-site visit[11][12], banned all but eight planes

of PIA's 44-plane fleet from flying to Europe citing safety concerns. PIA was included in theList of air

carriers banned in the European Union.[13] The remaining eight, namely the fleet ofBoeing 777s, has

been exempted from the ban.[14] PIA claims that this is discriminatory and the bans are not justifiable
[citation needed]
. On 26 March 2007, Tariq Saeed Kirmani resigned after severe pressure from higher

authorities because of the EU ban [citation needed]. 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 747-300s and six Airbuses A310-300s.[15]. On

29 November 2007, The EU completely lifted the ban on PIA.[16]. In the same year, PIA signed a lease

deal for seven new Airbus A320-200from Kuwait based leasing company ALAFCO, the factory built

aircraft were to be delivered between 2009 and 2010, however the deal however 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.[17]

[edit]Corporate management

[edit]Structure

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) is majority owned by the Government of

Pakistan (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, Captain Aijaz Haroon 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.

[edit]Privatisation

PIA offices in Lahore

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.[citation needed] 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 fromInternational 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.[18] 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.[19]

Financial performance

The following table gives the key financial results for the 2009 financial year along with those for the

past five years [20] . The airline reported a reduction of post tax losses of 83% in 2009 (compared to

2008) based on a reduction in fuel cost, comparatively stable Pakistan ruppee rates and higher

revenues. The exchange losses due to declining Ruppee rate were reported to be PKR 6.71 billion in

2009 compared to a whopping PKR 24.12 billion in 2008.

The airline also faces other challenges to its profitability such as staffing levels and overall management

challenges. An employee count of 17,944 for a fleet of 40 aircraft [21] is clearly an area that needs to be

reviewed .

Revenues [22]
Year Revenues (Rs. Million) Profit/(Loss) (Rs. Million) Employees (Ave.)
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 current year interim results (half yearly report for 2010) [23] do not show any improvement in

profitability. The after tax losses reported for the first six months of 2010 are PRK 6.90 billion as

compared to PRK 5.39 billion for the first six months of 2009. Revenue, however, did increase to PKR

49.31 billion for the first half of 2010 compared with PKR 41.92 billion for the first half of 2009.

The passenger traffic figures in the table below show a more or less static situation over the last 5 years

with the number of passengers hovering around five and a half million and a load factor of around 70%.

Passenger Traffic [24]

Year Revenue Passengers (Million) Passenger Load Factor Average Passenger Stage Distance (Statute KM)
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
2004 5.120 66% 2,641

It is interesting to look at the annual revenue breakdown for 2009: 89.4% of revenue is from passenger

traffic and 5.3% from cargo. The remaining 5.3% revenue is from excess baggage charges, charter,

engineering and other services.

[edit]Destinations

Main article: Pakistan International Airlines destinations

 Pakistan Present destinations Former destinations

A Pakistan International Airlines A310 atDubai International Airport. Dubai is a majorfocus city for the airline with flights

toBahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan,Peshawar, Quetta and Sialkot

PIA serves 23 domestic destinations and 36 international destinations in 25 countries across Asia,

Europe, North America as of September 2009 from its home bases

of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabadand Peshawar.[25][26]

[edit]Codeshare partners

PIA has codeshare agreements with the following four airlines:[27]

 Aerosvit Airlines

 China Southern Airlines (Skyteam)

 Thai Airways International (Star Alliance)

 Turkish Airlines (Star Alliance)

[edit]Fleet

The Pakistan International Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 25 August 2010):[28]

Pakistan International Airlines Fleet

Passengers
Aircraft Total Order (Business/Economy Notes
Plus^/Economy)

184 (12/40/132)
Airbus A310-300 12 0 205 (18/43/144)
205 (18/45/142)

ATR 42-500 7 0 50 (10/40)

118 (0/24/94)
Boeing 737-300 6 0
119 (0/27/92)
 Boeing 747-200M 1 0 468 (0/0/468)

Boeing 747-300 5 0 478 (0/30/448)

320 (35/45/240)
Boeing 777-200ER 4 0
329 (35/54/240)

Boeing 777-200LR 2 0 310 (35/60/215)

Boeing 777-300ER 3 0 393 (33/60/304)

Total 40 0

^ Economy Plus only on domestic routes

ATR 42
Boeing 737-300 Airbus A310-300 Boeing 747-300

Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777-200LR

Boeing 777-300ER

[edit]Fleet developments

 The airline is said to be in talks with Airbus and Boeing and is discussing narrowbody

replacements for the 20+ year old Boeing 737-300. According to PIA Chairman Captain Aijaz, "The

airline plans to acquire up to 27 aircraft, through a mix of orders and leases. We'll place seven firm
orders with nine purchase rights, and take ten from leasing companies. Deliveries will start at the

end of 2010." [29].

 PIA will also be upgrading their entire Airbus A310-300 fleet to increase their utilization. [30]

[edit]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, Punjab,Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan.[31]. 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.[32] 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.[33]

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

[edit]Services

[edit]Cabin

PIA operate a three class configuration on its domestic routes which include Business Plus, 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.[34] PIA Business Plus passengers are offered flat bed seats on all

Boeing 777 as well as select Airbus A310 aircraft.

[edit]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.

[edit]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.

[edit]Catering

PIA Catering are the main suppliers of meals for the airline. They can produce 15,000 passenger meals

each day.[35] However since 2006, the management control of the flight kitchens has been given

to Singapore Air Terminal Services (SATS).[36] PIA Catering also provide special meals to allow for

passengers' dietary and religious needs.

[edit]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 707-320C, 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[37] and postal mail.[38]

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.

[edit]Corporate sponsorship

The PIA Planetariums are theatres presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky. The

sites have a static Boeing 720 aircraft on display.[39]

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 a first-class cricket team that plays in the ABN AMRO Patron's Trophy inPakistan. PIA

also sponsors 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.[40] 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[41] 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.
[42]
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 stategic alliance to promote world money transfers.[43]

PIA has Planetariums 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).[44] In 2009, PIA teamed up with

the fast-food franchise, McDonalds, to offer passengers discounts on meals and upgrades.[45] PIA also

owns three hotels, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Scribe Hotel and Skyrooms (Private) Limited.[46]The airline

also has an agreement with Pearl Continental Hotels for its UAE based passengers.[47]

[edit]Achievements and recognitions

PIA was the first Asian airline to receive the Boeing 737–300

 First airline in the world to operate scheduled helicopter services.[citation needed]

 First Asian airline to land in Norway

 First non-Communist airline to land in China

  First airline in the world to take delivery of the Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner (Longer

RangeVariant).

 First airline in Pakistan to operate a flight with an all female crew at command and in the cabin.

 First airline in the world to operate the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-200LR and 777-300ER

altogether – all the three variants available on the market at the time.

 In 2005, the airline was awarded the IATA Operational Safety Registration (IOSA).

 PIA was given the first place award for the biggest volume increase in 2006, by Frankfurt

Airport Authority.

 First airline to take delivery of the Boeing 777-200 Longer Range Variant.[48]

 PIA was given three domestic awards in 2008: The "Brands of the Year" Award, "Consumers

Choice Award" and "One The Best Airlines Award (Cargo)".[46]

 PIA was awarded a shield by Presidency of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia in recognition of

distinguished Passenger Services compared to other airlines conducting Hajj operations 2009–

2010 at Jeddah Airport.[49]

[edit]Special operations

[edit]Charter services

PIA operates private charter flights using ATR 42s to 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.

[edit]Hajj and Umrah operations

PIA operates a two-month (pre- and post-) Hajj 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, andSukkur to

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In order to deal with the demand, the airline leases many different aircraft

including Boeing 747-200s,Airbus A321s, Airbus A300 and Boeing 737-400s.

[edit]State officials transportation

Callsign "PAKISTAN 001" carrying the President on PIA's Boeing 707 photographed in Germany, c.1961
PIA has been continuously serving government officials of Pakistan, mainly President of

Pakistanand Prime Minister of Pakistan. Military and Judicial personnel also enjoy huge discounts on

PIA flights. PIA has always transported the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan on overseas visits.

During the late 1990s, a PIA Boeing 737–300[50] was used for official visits by

the Bhuttoand 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 B737 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 [51] 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.[citation needed]

[Edit]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.[52]

The memorial tablet placed at the crash site in Cairo for those who died on PIA Flight 705 on 20 May 1965.

 On 18 May 1959, Vickers Viscount AP-AJC was damaged beyond economic repair on landing

at Islamabad International Airport.[53]

 On 14 August 1959, Vickers Viscount AP-AJE crashed at Karachi International Airport while

attempting an overshoot with two engines inoperative on a training flight. Two of the three people

on board were killed.[54]

 PIA Flight 705 was a Boeing 720 – 040 B that crashed while descending to land on Runway

34 at Cairo International Airport on 20 May 1965 resulting in 119 fatalities.

 Flight 17 was a Sikorsky S-61 that crashed on 2 February 1966 on a scheduled domestic flight

in East Pakistan with 23 killed and one survivor.

 PIA Flight 740 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.
 PIA Flight 326 was hijacked on 2 March 1981 by three gunmen, and flown to Kabul. For

almost two weeks, more than 100 passengers were held captive on the Boeing 720 until Pakistan

released 55 prisoners. One passenger, Pakistani diplomat Tariq Rahim, was murdered during the

ordeal. [55]

 PIA 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.

 PIA Flight 544 was the flight number of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Fokker F27 that

was hijacked on 25 May 1998. All passengers and crew escaped unhurt during the incident.

 PIA Flight 688 was a Fokker F27 was scheduled to operate from Multan to Lahore and then

to Islamabad. At 12:05pm on 10 July 2006, it crashed into a field[56] after bursting into flames a few

minutes after takeoff[57] from Multan International Airport. All 41 passengers and four crew members

on board were killed.

Wikinews has related

news:Man released

following bomb-scare forced

flight diversion, warning a

possible hoax

 PIA Flight 782, carrying 273 people bound from Toronto for Karachi, landed at

Stockholm'sArlanda Airport on September 2010 because of a "hoax" bomb threat on board. After

evacuating the passengers from the plane, a thorough check was made to find any explosives, if

present, on the aircraft. Police operation leader Stephan Radman said later that no explosives were

found on board.[58]