Lt Gen (Retd.) Anwar Ali Hyder Rewards Airline Staff After Becoming PIA Chairman
Local print media and other digital publishing hounds reported earlier that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has approved a performance bonus for its employees under new Chairman Lt Gen (Retd.) Anwar Ali Hyder.
This is a surprising turnaround from December 2025, when PIA’s new owners warned that the airline could incur losses in its early years despite their massive investment.
An Arif Habib Corporation-led consortium acquired the airline with plans to turn it around. So far, the consortium has managed to appoint a well-seasoned individual as PIA chairman, and things suddenly appear to be looking pretty good. The airline has now announced a one-month salary bonus for its staff.
Just weeks ago, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) waived Rs. 4.29 billion in default surcharges and penalties payable on the current income tax liabilities of PIA following the appointment of the new chairman.
The bonus was approved at PIA’s 102nd Board of Directors meeting on Friday. It was the first board meeting following the airline’s transition to private management.
Things looked pretty serious for PIA last year, with the new owners openly warning that the airline could continue to post losses during its early years under private management. However, the sudden announcement of a one-month salary bonus suggests that things may be starting to work out better than initially expected.
While a staff bonus alone does not prove that PIA has turned the corner financially, it certainly points to a more confident outlook from the new management. The public, however, is not so easily convinced.
Some readers following Anwar Ali Hyder’s appointment sent comments and texts that the private consortium should have chosen an experienced civilian or aviation industry professional, while others remained doubtful that the change in ownership and management would be enough to turn PIA around.
There were some hopeful voices as well, but the overall reaction suggests that the new management still has plenty to prove before the public is ready to believe that PIA is genuinely on a different trajectory. For the readers, this bonus isn’t encouraging.
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