The government has expedited efforts to privatize Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), with plans to advertise the airline’s sale internationally.
Initial contacts with investment groups from Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar, UAE, Germany, France, and the Netherlands have been established.
However, the PIA union is gearing up to oppose the privatization move. Pakistan intends to engage the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation to facilitate the sale, which will encompass not only PIA’s fleet and routes but also its engineering, catering, and cargo divisions.
Furthermore, the government has decided to outsource the management of the three major airports—Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore—with Lahore and Islamabad airports already undergoing trial outsourcing. The Ministry of Aviation has been tasked with crucial responsibilities in this regard, including holding meetings with Pakistani ambassadors and persuading international investors and companies to consider investing in the outsourcing initiative. Pakistani ambassadors will be briefed accordingly by aviation authorities for effective engagement abroad.
