# PIA nominates Salam Air chief Adrian Hamilton Manns as its new CEO, Business Recorder reports

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/business/pia-nominates-salam-air-chief-adrian-hamilton-manns-as-its-new-ceo-business)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 17 Oct 2026
Updated: 17 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 17 Oct 2026

> The Oman budget airline's chief executive, a self-described turnaround specialist, is expected to take charge of the privatised national carrier by the end of October once clearances are done.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has nominated **Adrian Hamilton Manns**, chief executive of Oman's low-cost carrier Salam Air, as its next CEO, [Business Recorder reported](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40444616/pia-has-nominated-adrian-hamilton-as-its-ceo) on Saturday, citing sources. Security and other clearances are still being processed, so the appointment has not been formally announced. He is expected to take charge by the end of October.

It would be the first big appointment at the top of PIA since the airline passed into private hands: a consortium led by Arif Habib took over management on 29 June 2026.

## Who is Adrian Hamilton Manns

According to Business Recorder, his career has been spent mostly launching and running budget airlines:

| Years | Role |
|---|---|
| Since July 2024 | CEO, Salam Air (Muscat, Oman) |
| April 2020 to July 2024 | President and CEO, Fly Arystan (Kazakhstan) |
| 2012 to 2016 | Founding CEO, flyafrica.com |
| Earlier | Senior commercial roles at IndiGo, South African Airways, Pacific Blue (Virgin Australia) and Mandala Airlines (Indonesia) |
| 1997 | Started his career at Air New Zealand |

He describes himself as an airline turnaround specialist on his professional networking profile.

## The challenge

PIA is a full-service flag carrier, while most of Manns's experience is with low-cost airlines, Business Recorder noted. The new chief would inherit the problems the paper lists: an ageing fleet, operational inefficiency, years of losses and a history of political interference.

For passengers, the questions that matter are fleet growth, more international routes and on-time performance.

## What happens next

PIA and its owners have not yet confirmed the nomination publicly. We will update this story when the appointment is announced. Planning a trip abroad? Our [passport fee calculator](/tools/government/passport-fee-calculator) shows current fees for every booklet.

## Frequently asked questions

**Who is the new CEO of PIA?**

Business Recorder reports PIA has nominated Adrian Hamilton Manns, CEO of Oman's Salam Air. The appointment awaits clearances and has not been formally announced.

## Sources

- PIA has nominated Adrian Hamilton as its CEO (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40444616/pia-has-nominated-adrian-hamilton-as-its-ceo

How to cite: "PIA nominates Salam Air chief Adrian Hamilton Manns as its new CEO, Business Recorder reports", Searchable, 17 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/business/pia-nominates-salam-air-chief-adrian-hamilton-manns-as-its-new-ceo-business