What is the old name of Pia?

What Was the Old Name of PIA?

Before it became the national flag carrier known today as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the airline had a different identity. Originally, it operated as Orient Airways, established in 1946. At the time, it was one of the first Muslim-owned airlines in British India, founded with the vision of serving the air travel needs of a soon-to-be-independent Pakistan.

When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the new nation needed a state-run airline to connect its geographically separated provinces—East and West Pakistan. Recognizing the growing importance of air transport, the government stepped in. In 1955, Orient Airways was merged with the newly formed Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) to officially launch what we now know simply as PIA.

This merger marked the beginning of PIA as the country’s national flag carrier, tasked with linking major cities within Pakistan and extending routes internationally. The transition from Orient Airways to PIA wasn’t just a rebrand—it symbolized a new chapter in Pakistan’s post-independence development. With government backing, PIA quickly expanded its fleet and network, becoming a source of national pride during its golden years.

Though the name "Orient Airways" has faded into history, its legacy lives on through PIA. That early foundation helped shape the airline into a key player in South Asian aviation for decades. Today, while PIA faces challenges, its origins remind us of a time when the skies over Pakistan first opened with promise and ambition.