New Delhi: Pakistan International Airlines has received a fashion makeover, and the civilians are appalled. They say the uniforms changed, but the incompetence remained.
Nine fashion designers headlined the PIA New Uniform Showcase for 2026. These include Deepak and Fahad, Generation PK, Ismail Farid, Munib Nawaz, Deepak Perwani, Faraz Manan, Amir Adnan, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin and Nomi Ansari.
In a video shared on X, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) called it “a showcase where Pakistani fashion meets the future of flight.”
“From the runway to the skies. Pakistan’s leading designers brought their vision for the future of PIA uniforms to life — merging fashion, functionality, identity and purpose”, it added.
Nonetheless, Pakistanis are unimpressed.
“This is so sick. Can’t wait for an impeccably dressed air hostess in a Faraz Mannan designer uniform to tell me my flight has been delayed indefinitely,” a disgruntled X user Hamza wrote.
“Anything but improving the actual airline. They are so incompetent it’s unreal,” another user Yuru added.
Pakistan pulled off its privatisation bid for its national airline in December last year after the country auctioned 75 per cent of its stake in PIA, once seen as the pride of not just Pakistan but South Asian aviation, marking the country’s first major privatisation in nearly two decades and a symbolic victory under an IMF-backed reform programme.
The winning bid of PKR 135 billion came from a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation, one of Pakistan’s most powerful financial groups.
PIA’s privatisation has been attempted repeatedly since the early 1990s. Despite having established a National Privatisation Commission as early as 1990 under Nawaz Sharif, the country has struggled for over three decades to offload PIA.
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‘Will the AC work now?’
Pakistanis cannot get over how the airline remains incompetent while splurging money on new uniforms each time. In 2015, too, PIA had a uniform showcase.
“The ‘good news’ after privatisation is that since last week, I’ve noticed that there are no direct flights from Dubai to Karachi; instead, the option is to come to Karachi after waiting several hours in Islamabad and Lahore,” an X user called desi chawal posted.
Others agreed.
“What is the uniform supposed to do until new aircraft actually arrive? Rebuild engineering. Overhaul operations. Then worry about marketing. Meanwhile the ageing Al-Habib group carries the real weight while Fauji Foundation just keeps getting fatter,” Pakistani analyst Shakeel Jalil added.
Most don’t even like the designs— it’s not practical. One X user said none of them looks appealing.
X user Ali called it ‘… an image and a proof of what is wrong with Pakistan …’
“Pakistan Inshallah Airlines … once pride of Pakistan today sold by crooks to other crooks”, he added.
Others had suggestions.
“Somehow you guys put the focus on the wrong end of improvement. Focus on having a good aircraft with more destinations, including Stockholm and direct flights. I would be more than happy to pay a little extra to avoid travelling with transit,” X user Brown Swedish added.
Another user, Anam, sarcastically remarked: “Will this prompt you guys to make sure AC is working for trans Atlantic flights? Wasting money is the favourite sport of Pakistani institutions”.
Meanwhile, others got personal.
“Should’ve put more effort into upgrading the system, the planes the services, & most importantly “The Reputation ” My family & I are traveling this month, & due to this, we didn’t even bother to check the fares of @Official_PIA as we know we have to get “Khawar” at the end (distressed),” X user Yusra added.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)