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Pakistan
International
Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign From Wikipedia, the free
PK PIA PAKISTAN
encyclopedia
Destinations 63 incl.cargo
the Far East. The airline is
Website www.piac.com.pk
[hide]
• 1 History
o 1.1 Expansion
• 2 Corporate management
o 2.1 Structure
o 2.2 Privatisation
• 3 Destinations
• 4 Fleet
o 4.2 Livery
• 5 Services
o 5.1 Cabin
o 5.4 Catering
• 6 Cargo operations
• 7 Corporate sponsorship
• 9 Special operations
• 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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
[edit]Structure
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
[edit]Privatisation
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
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%.
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,
[edit]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,
[edit]Codeshare partners
Aerosvit Airlines
[edit]Fleet
The Pakistan International Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of 25 August 2010):[28]
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)
118 (0/24/94)
Boeing 737-300 6 0
119 (0/27/92)
Boeing 747-200M 1 0 468 (0/0/468)
320 (35/45/240)
Boeing 777-200ER 4 0
329 (35/54/240)
Total 40 0
ATR 42
Boeing 737-300 Airbus A310-300 Boeing 747-300
[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
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
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.
[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
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
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
[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
[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
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
[edit]Corporate sponsorship
The PIA Planetariums are theatres presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky. The
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]
PIA was the first Asian airline to receive the Boeing 737–300
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
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–
[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.
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
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]
Since it began services, seven Pakistan International Airlines flights have crashed. PIA has a record of
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
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
PIA Flight 705 was a Boeing 720 – 040 B that crashed while descending to land on Runway
Flight 17 was a Sikorsky S-61 that crashed on 2 February 1966 on a scheduled domestic flight
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
news:Man released
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]