KARACHI: Last week Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) celebrated its 66th anniversary at its head office in Karachi. Commemorating 66th year in service to the nation, PIA held a modest ceremony. The occasion was graced by celebrity performer and philanthropist Mr. Shehzad Roy while Mr. Zaryab Sultan performed national songs for the audience. A ceremonial cake cutting ceremony was performed by CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier of Pakistan PIA was founded on 29 October 1946 as Orient Airways, and was initially based in Calcutta, British India, before shifting operations to the newly independent state of Pakistan in 1947.
Orient Airways was nationalised to form the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC). The new airline commenced international services in 1955 to London, via Cairo and Rome.
PIA became the first Asian airline to operate jet aircraft with the induction of the Boeing 707 into commercial service on 7 March 1960 and later in 1964 became the first non-Communist airline to fly to China.
The airline played a vital role in the establishment of the Emirates airline in 1985. In 2004, PIA become the launch customer of the Boeing 777-200LR. On 10 November 2005, PIA used the Boeing 777-200LR to complete the world’s longest nonstop flight by a commercial airliner. This flight lasted 22 hours and 22 minutes on the eastbound route between Hong Kong and London.
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