The oldest airline in Pakistan is Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
PIA's Origins as Orient Airways
Initially, PIA was not established as PIA. It was founded on October 29, 1946, by Shanaz as Orient Airways. This airline was based in Calcutta, British India.
Transition to Pakistan
- In 1947, with the partition of India, Orient Airways shifted its operations to the newly independent state of Pakistan.
- Subsequently, Orient Airways was nationalized, forming the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC). This change marked the establishment of the airline that is now recognized as Pakistan International Airlines.
Therefore, while PIA was not initially named as such, its history as Orient Airways predates any other airline in Pakistan, making it the oldest.
