Pakistan Worldwide Airways has a brand new look. However judging by the response on-line, passengers appear to have different issues on their minds.9 Pakistani designers showcased their concepts for PIA’s new uniforms for 2026 on September 16, with the airline describing the occasion as a gathering level between Pakistani trend and “the way forward for flight”.The designers included Deepak and Fahad, Era PK, Ismail Farid, Munib Nawaz, Deepak Perwani, Faraz Manan, Amir Adnan, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin and Nomi Ansari.PIA shared a video of the showcase on X, saying the designers had introduced their imaginative and prescient for the airline’s future uniforms to life by combining trend, performance, id and function.The response, nonetheless, rapidly moved away from trend.
‘Can’t wait to be instructed my flight is delayed’
For some customers, the brand new uniforms solely highlighted what they see as larger issues with the airline.One X consumer, Hamza, wrote sarcastically that he could not look ahead to a well dressed air hostess in a Faraz Manan uniform to inform him that his flight had been delayed indefinitely.One other consumer, Yuru, questioned why the airline was specializing in uniforms when there have been extra urgent points to handle, calling the transfer an instance of what they noticed as PIA’s incompetence.The criticism additionally comes towards the backdrop of PIA’s long-running monetary and operational issues.
PIA’s privatisation provides to the controversy
Pakistan accomplished the sale of a 75% stake in PIA in December 2025 after years of unsuccessful makes an attempt to privatise the nationwide service.The successful bid was PKR 135 billion from a consortium led by Arif Habib Company.The privatisation course of had been tried a number of instances because the Nineteen Nineties, with efforts persevering with for greater than three many years.That historical past is a part of why the uniform showcase drew such a robust response on-line.Some customers argued that new plane, higher providers and extra locations ought to take precedence over a brand new wardrobe.One consumer, Brown Swedish, mentioned the airline ought to concentrate on increasing its plane and locations, together with direct flights to Stockholm, moderately than placing consideration on uniforms.One other consumer, Anam, took a swipe on the airline by asking whether or not the brand new uniforms would at the very least be certain that the air-conditioning labored on transatlantic flights.
‘Will the AC work now?’
The air-conditioning remark turned one in every of a number of sarcastic reactions to the showcase.One other consumer, Shakeel Jalil, questioned the concentrate on branding and uniforms, arguing that engineering, operations and plane ought to come first.Not everybody was impressed with the designs both. Some customers described the uniforms as impractical or mentioned they merely did not just like the types.One X consumer, Ali, referred to as the showcase a mirrored image of what they believed was fallacious with the nation and criticised the airline’s decline from its former repute.One other passenger, Yusra, mentioned her household was travelling later within the month however claimed they hadn’t even thought of checking PIA fares due to considerations in regards to the expertise.The controversy reveals that for most of the customers reacting on-line, the uniforms aren’t actually the primary problem.A sharper-looking crew could change how PIA seems to be within the cabin. Whether or not passengers really feel a distinction as soon as they’re on board is a a lot larger query.