PIA names New Zealander Adrian Hamilton-Manns as CEO, the first boss picked by its new private owners

Pakistan International Airlines has a new chief executive picked under its private owners. The board appointed Adrian Hamilton-Manns, a New Zealand national who has run low-cost airlines in Oman and Kazakhstan, and he took charge on Monday, November 2.

He replaces Air Vice Marshal (retd) Aamir Hayat, who led PIA for about four years and steered it through the sale to private investors.

A turnaround specialist from the budget-airline world

In its announcement, PIA described Hamilton-Manns as an expert in reviving airlines with more than 30 years in the industry. The board said it expected him to raise service standards and drive "sustainable profitability" in what it called a new era for the carrier.

His career, as described by the airline and in industry profiles:

Years	Airline	Role
1997 onwards	Air New Zealand	Started his aviation career
—	Virgin Australia's Pacific Blue, Mandala Airlines (Indonesia), IndiGo, South African Airways	Senior commercial roles
about 2012–2016	flyafrica.com	Founding chief executive
2020–2024	FlyArystan (Kazakhstan)	President and CEO of Air Astana's low-cost arm
2024–2026	SalamAir (Oman)	Chief executive

FlyArystan's revenue grew substantially under his leadership. SalamAir, based in Muscat, flies to several Pakistani cities, so he knows the Pakistan–Gulf market that makes up a large share of PIA's traffic. Reports of his selection first surfaced in mid-October, pending security clearances.

The board thanked Hayat for structural reforms and for preparing the airline for privatisation.

How PIA was sold

The new owners are a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation, which won the televised auction in December 2025. It paid Rs135 billion (about $482 million) for 75% of the airline, valuing the whole company at about Rs180 billion.

Key terms reported at the time of the deal:

• Stake: 75% now, with an option to buy the government's remaining 25%, worth about Rs45 billion.
• Where the money goes: most of the purchase money, about 92.5%, is to be reinvested in PIA rather than paid to the treasury.
• Old debts: the government kept the airline's legacy liabilities, running into hundreds of billions of rupees.
• Jobs: staff are protected for at least the first year.
• Control: management passed to the consortium on June 29, 2026.

Other members of the buying group include Fatima Fertilizer, Fauji Fertilizer, Lake City Holdings, The City School and AKD Group, according to reports.

The job in front of him

PIA flies about 30 aircraft, and several have been grounded for maintenance. The owners have said they want to repair and return those planes, add more through leases or purchases, and fix maintenance and scheduling. They have set a goal of profitability within the first year of private management.

PIA's international network was hit hard when European, British and US authorities banned it in 2020 after a pilot-licensing scandal. European restrictions were lifted in late 2024 and British ones in 2025, opening the door to rebuilding lucrative routes to Europe and the UK, where large Pakistani communities live.

What it means for passengers

For travellers, the early signs of the new management will be in punctuality, the number of working aircraft and whether direct flights to the UK and Europe come back at scale. The owners have promised newer cabins and better service, but have not announced fare changes. The second stage of the sale, with about Rs45 billion more in equity, is due within roughly a year of the June handover.