The Arif Habib Consortium has won the bid to privatise Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) after offering Rs135 billion for a 75% ownership stake. The decision was made following a competitive, multi-stage bidding process. The Lucky Consortium came in second with a close bid of Rs134 billion, while Airblue also took part in the earlier stages of the process.
Government officials said the goal of privatisation is not just to sell the national airline, but to revive and strengthen it. The government plans to use 92.5% of the money received to improve PIA’s operations, upgrade its fleet, and enhance passenger services. Authorities believe that private-sector management will help PIA perform better and encourage fresh investment in Pakistan’s aviation industry.
