Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Amir Hayat has ceased to serve as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) and its holding entity, PIA Holding Company Limited (PIAHCL), following the completion of his deputation tenure from the Pakistan Air Force.
The change in leadership took effect on December 9, 2024, according to a notice sent to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) by PIA Holding Company Limited.
“Upon completion of deputation tenure from Pakistan Air Force to Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) / PIA Holding Company Limited (PIAHCL), AVM Muhammad Amir Hayat has ceased to be the Chief Executive Officer of PIAHCL w.e.f. December 09, 2024,” read the notice.
On December 6, Pakistan International Airlines appointed senior executive Khurram Mushtaq as acting CEO as the airline prepares to resume flights to Europe following the lifting of a long-standing ban.
A statement from PIA confirmed that Mushtaq, who previously headed multiple departments, including Commercial, Airport Services, Flight Services, Security, and Vigilance, will assume the role after the tenure of Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat concludes.
The airline is yet to appoint a permanent CEO, which remains a key requirement for stabilizing operations amid efforts to regain its foothold in international markets.
The development comes in the wake of a failed privatisation attempt in October, during which the airline received only a single offer, falling significantly short of its valuation. PIA’s management continues to face challenges in financial restructuring and operational recovery.
PIA announced that it will resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier.
PIA’s authorisation to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.
“We have got approval for the first flight’s schedule we had filed,” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said, adding that the airline would be opening bookings on December 9 for its planned January 10 flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.
