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History of PIA - Pakistan International Airlines

In 1991, designed by Negus and Negus of London, PIA unveiled its sporty 90s look. Upper fuselage was in white color with titles, Pakistan International, reduced to just one word: Pakistan in green color. PIA initials in stylized Urdu were retained and were painted in grass green color on the upper fuselage of 747s and on the lower fuselage of other aircraft of the fleet. Fin livery comprised the white PIA initials on an all green fin with white color leading edge. On the lower fuselage, a broad green band covered the belly of aircraft and was cut off forward by three angled chevrons of dark green, grass green and pale blue color. The dark green chevron represented the famous PIA green and Pakistan's beauty and fertility. Sporty grass green and pale blue chevrons, a symbol of sport, highlighted PIA's sponsorship of games of every kind. No other airline in the world has supported the cause of sport and sportsmen worldwide, the way PIA has.

In 1997, to celebrate Pakistan's fifty years of independence, PIA named its aircraft after various Pakistani cities and landmarks. The names along with a specially designed logo were applied below aircraft's flight deck windows. The list of names given to PIA aircraft in 1997 can be viewed on the bottom of this page.

PIA Airbus A310-308

Airbus A310-308  (Copyright © Chris Sheldon)

AP-BDZ seen on take off from runway 15 of Birmingham Airport. Chris took this action photo on January 7, 2003


PIA Fokker F27 Friendship Mark 200

Fokker F27 Friendship Mark 200  (Abbas Ali Collection)

AP-BDS at Karachi Airport


PIA Boeing 747-240B (SCD)

Boeing 747-240B (SCD)  (Copyright © Chris Sheldon)

AP-BAK seen on take off from runway 24L of Manchester Airport. Chris took this photo on September 13, 2003



PIA Boeing 737-340

Boeing 737-340  (Copyright © Dietmar Schreiber)

Dietmar took this photo of AP-BFT at Dubai Airport on March 21, 2002


PIA Airbus A300B4-203

Airbus A300B4-203  (Copyright © ATDB)

AP-BEL seen at Sharjah Airport, UAE, in February of 1995


PIA de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300  (Abbas Ali Collection)

AP-BCH at Karachi Airport


PIA AIrbus A300B4-203

Airbus A300B4-203  (Copyright © ATDB)

This photo shows AP-BFL at Sharjah Airport, UAE, in November of 1998. To celebrate Pakistan's 50 years of independence, a specially designed small marking was applied on all PIA aircraft. Each aircraft was given name of a Pakistani city and this name was painted below the special marking. In this photo you can see this specially designed marking applied under the flight deck windows of AP-BFL. Painted below this marking, in very small text, is the name "City of Abbotabad" given to AP-BFL


List of Names Given to PIA Aircraft to Celebrate Pakistan's 50 Years of Independence in 1997

Regn. Type of Aircraft Cn/Sn Mfd Delivery City Name
AP-ALW Fokker F27 Friendship 400 10187 1961 19-10-61 City of Shikarpur
AP-ATU Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10278 1965 08-07-65 City of Gwadar
AP-AUR Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10307 1966 30-04-66 City of ?
AP-AXB Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10288 1965 06-04-73 City of ?
AP-AXG Boeing 707-340C 20488/849 1970 23-12-70 Shigar Valley
AP-AYV Boeing 747-282B 20928/239 1974 26-04-76 City of Lahore
AP-AYW Boeing 747-282B 21035/256 1975 16-04-76 City of Peshawar
AP-BAK Boeing 747-240B (SCD) 21825/383 1979 26-07-79 City of Karachi
AP-BAL Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10243 1964 26-01-79 City of ?
AP-BAO Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10230 1963 01-06-79 City of D.G. Khan
AP-BAT Boeing 747-240B (SCD) 22077/429 1980 07-03-80 City of Islamabad
AP-BAX Airbus A300B4-203 096 1979 03-03-80 City of Faisalabad
AP-BAY Airbus A300B4-203 098 1979 12-03-80 City of ?
AP-BAZ Airbus A300B4-203 099 1980 03-04-80 City of Rawalpindi
AP-BBA Airbus A300B4-203 114 1980 27-08-80 City of Nawab Shah
AP-BBK Boeing 707-323C 19576/719 1968 **-12-82 ?
AP-BBM Airbus A300B4-203 064 1979 03-08-83 City of ?
AP-BBV Airbus A300B4-203 144 1981 24-06-84 City of ?
AP-BCA Boeing 737-340 23294/1114 1985 31-05-85 City of Sargodha
AP-BCB Boeing 737-340 23295/1116 1985 03-06-85 City of ?
AP-BCC Boeing 737-340 23296/1121 1985 18-06-85 City of Gujrat
AP-BCD Boeing 737-340 23297/1122 1985 21-06-85 City of Khuzdar
AP-BCE Boeing 737-340 23298/1123 1985 25-06-85 City of D.I. Khan
AP-BCF Boeing 737-340 23299/1235 1986 20-06-86 City of Larkana
AP-BCG DHC-6-300 Twin Otter 726 1980 06-02-85 Mangla Dam
AP-BCH DHC-6-300 Twin Otter 768 1981 06-02-85 ?
AP-BCL Boeing 747-217B 20929/247 1974 18-12-85 City of Quetta
AP-BCM Boeing 747-217B 20802/226 1973 19-05-86 City of Multan
AP-BCN Boeing 747-217B 20801/225 1973 25-09-86 City of Hyderabad
AP-BCO Boeing 747-217B 20927/244 1974 06-11-86 City of Mardan
AP-BCJ Airbus A300B4-203 268 1983 15-05-85 City of ?
AP-BCT Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10289 1965 29-06-86 City of Sui
AP-BCZ Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10305 1966 02-09-87 City of Bannu
AP-BDB Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10292 1966 22-01-88 City of Jhelum
AP-BDP Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10170 1961 26-10-89 City of Jaccobabad
AP-BDQ Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10253 1964 **-11-89 City of R.Y. Khan
AP-BDR Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10134 1959 **-05-90 City of Jhang
AP-BDS Fokker F27 Friendship 200 10133 1959 17-02-90 City of Zhob
AP-BDZ Airbus A310-308 585 1991 25-06-91 City of Ziarat
AP-BEB Airbus A310-308 587 1991 26-07-91 City of Murree
AP-BEC Airbus A310-308 590 1991 02-09-91 City of Swat
AP-BEG Airbus A310-308 653 1992 23-09-92 City of Chitral
AP-BEL Airbus A300B4-203 269 1983 03-04-93 City of ?
AP-BEQ Airbus A310-308 656 1992 21-12-93 City of Gilgit
AP-BEU Airbus A310-308 691 1994 11-05-94 City of Skardu
AP-BEY Airbus A300B4-203 146 1981 21-07-94 City of Kohat
AP-BFL Airbus A300B4-203 204 1982 07-01-97 City of Abbotabad


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