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

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 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:

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 shows current fees for every booklet.