Every flight starts with a greeting. PIA wants to change what that greeting looks like.
On September 16, Pakistan's national carrier held its New Uniform Design Showcase 2026 — its first redesign in a decade. The line-up read like a roll call of Pakistani fashion.
Amir Adnan worked in deep forest green and soft grey-blue. Deepak Perwani kept it classic with sharp suits and subtle red piping. Faraz Manan's light grey flight suit stood out in a sea of green. Generation paired green with turquoise. HSY's navy double-breasted pilot's suit became one of the most talked-about looks online. Ismail Farid focused on crisp, tailored menswear. Maheen Khan, with Deepak and Fahad, brought in teal and beige. Munib Nawaz went darker with mandarin collars and gold buttons. And Nomi Ansari, who designed the current uniform, returned with turquoise accents and golden details.
A jury will pick the winner, which will then roll out across the fleet.
PIA's uniform has never just been a uniform. In its golden era, the air hostess in green was Pakistani style. Handing the brief to the country's biggest names says local designers are trusted with national identity. And as PIA's first big image move since privatisation, it's the clearest way to signal a new chapter.
Globally, when a PIA crew walks through Heathrow or Dubai, they're the first Pakistani faces many travellers see. Get the uniform right, and it's Pakistani tailoring on display in international airports every single day.
However, not everyone is clapping. The loudest reaction online: fix the planes first. It's a fair point, a uniform can't carry an airline on its own. But it can set the standard. If the service catches up to the ambition on that runway, PIA might finally look like the national carrier Pakistan remembers.
