PIA removes Markhor picture, restores old logo

E-Paper | May 21, 2026

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to restore its old slogan ‘Great People to Fly With’ and discontinue its new blue logo.

A directive issued by PIA Chief Executive Officer and chairman Air Marshal Arshad Malik informed all concerned that it has been approved that the airline’s new blue logo has been discontinued from stationery products, billboards, documents and all other places.

The Markhor image that was earlier placed on PIA aircraft. — File

It said the new blue logo has been discontinued and the old logo (Pakistan prominent) and the slogan ‘Great People to Fly With’ have been adopted and it will be reproduced on all documents and platforms.

PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar confirmed that the national flag carrier’s old logo has been restored as the public acceptance of Markhor — the country’s national animal — was not good as well as the Supreme Court had also barred the PIA from replacing the Pakistan flag on the tails of its aircraft. He said that the picture of Markhor had also been removed from one aircraft after the SC orders.

In May last year, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had ordered the PIA management to stop replacing the national flag on the tail of its aircraft with a picture of Markhor.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2019

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Newspaper

SC temporarily bars PIA from placing image of Markhor on aircraft's tail

I want to see PIA dominate the skies again

Only bankruptcy can end the PIA crisis

Saad

Jan 08, 2019 12:37pm

But wouldn’t replacing the logo mean more cost for the already in crisis PIA? Understand the public perception and SC ruling but it doesnt seem practical

Recommend 0

KAR

Jan 08, 2019 12:41pm

After wasting millions??? No one held accountable? ???

Recommend 0

Lahori Kid

Jan 08, 2019 12:41pm

Does it really matter? Why haven't our honorable CJP see the mismanagement in the same institute?

Recommend 0

Tariq Rashid

Jan 08, 2019 01:07pm

Its good that old logo has been restored which not only looks great on the plane but also gives great feeling on seeing the national flag on the carrier..

Recommend 0

soothsayer

Jan 08, 2019 01:09pm

Low public response is because of your zero marketing efforts. Change of logo requires marketing strategies at which the PIA management is very bad.

Recommend 0

Jan 08, 2019 01:27pm

Both color and logo was not required to change....thanks again to PML-N's big brains. However, PIA should consider changing it title to Pakistan airway or Pakistan Air.....Pakistan International Airline is too long and boring and sounds like old..

Recommend 0

shehzad7

Jan 08, 2019 01:32pm

The Markhor logo looked amazing. The crescent flag livery is just boring.

Recommend 0

Syed Naqvi

Jan 08, 2019 01:34pm

Disappointing decision. I don't know where they received their feedback, but reaction was generally positive to the new logo of the Markhor. It was innovative, eye catching, and creative.

Recommend 0

Mahmood

Jan 08, 2019 01:35pm

PIA should in fact, go back to the 1970s model when the airline enjoyed a great reputation, service was excellent, flew to wider network of destinations, competed with the Western carriers and had staff that was polite and professional.

Recommend 0

MBN

Jan 08, 2019 01:46pm

This has nothing to do with public backlash against the LOGO, rather the public view that an airline that is BARELY functioning, instead of fixing its systemic issues decides to go for just a facelift. The logo itself was excellent and something new and creative. The only issue is it was for PIA and not some other actually functioning entity.

Recommend 0

wasim

Jan 08, 2019 01:47pm

nationalization needed

Recommend 0

Chinpaksaddique

Jan 08, 2019 02:09pm

So much painting and repainting - all wasted

Recommend 0

Jawad Saleem

Jan 08, 2019 02:16pm

The old logo was bad - the new logo was much better - but we have no hope as it is.

Recommend 0

BhaRAT

Jan 08, 2019 02:23pm

I love Markhor but the logo was quite odd the old logo is beautiful and suits on PIA Planes

Recommend 0

Jan 08, 2019 02:29pm

Rather than focusing on Services and quality of your aircrafts this seems amusing.

Recommend 0

Amjad

Jan 08, 2019 02:53pm

Nice to see the old logo back - but surely schedules and quality of service should be higher in priority. What is the plan to live up to the "Great people to fly with" strapline - as flying with PIA is not that great an experience.

Recommend 0

AQJ

Jan 08, 2019 03:23pm

Good decision. Now measures should be taken to restructure it as per airline standards. Lets bring the lost glory of PIA

Recommend 0

Zulfiqar Haider

Jan 08, 2019 03:40pm

Our priorities..... now its the logo issue......

Recommend 0

Roy

Jan 08, 2019 04:04pm

Once millions were spent on the logo then why didn't they let it to continue instead of wasting another amount in millions to remove the logo and print another one?

Recommend 0

SHAHZ

Jan 08, 2019 04:21pm

Fantastic, nothing constructive to do!!

Recommend 0

Yasio

Jan 08, 2019 04:24pm

I think it was great logo(markhor)

Recommend 0

Bilal Khan

Jan 08, 2019 04:30pm

The whole logo game was just a way to loot money. Logos were painted in poor quality which already started coming off. This is a face saving tactic.

Recommend 0

Javed

Jan 08, 2019 04:58pm

Commercial enterprises are never operated on a whim.

Recommend 0

sraj020851@gmail.com

Jan 08, 2019 05:04pm

Now PIA will become the most profitable airline in the world Can return all the country's debts back in one year's time

Recommend 0

Newborn

Jan 08, 2019 05:19pm

Yes, because the logo of an endangered animal that attracts tourists is the biggest problem with PIA at the moment. The sooner this company is shut down, the better it would be for the tax payer.

Recommend 0

hassan

Jan 08, 2019 06:41pm

best solution: ground the airline

Recommend 0

Shahid

Jan 08, 2019 06:48pm

What difference will it make if you have markhor or goat or a cat on PIA tail, when the service is down the drain, the air hostess serving in the airline were all born in 1947 and till date serving. The interior looks like a deserted house which is never cleaned or fixed. PIA was one of the best airlines once. See what we have done to ourselves. I work for an airline, which was once brought in existence by PIA. People evolve we devolve

Recommend 0

Farooq Nasim Ahmad

Jan 08, 2019 07:02pm

Changing logos to make PIA profitable and changing uniforms to reform our police and then changing or reverting again! We are ruled by kings who ruthlessly waste public money on expensive and useless cosmetic measures without putting efforts to identify and eradicate root causes.

Recommend 0

K khan

Jan 08, 2019 07:03pm

Good decision to change PIA logo on aircraft with that of original

Recommend 0

Ayaz USA

Jan 08, 2019 07:26pm

The new logo was much better and looked cool and very modern. The old logo is bad and looks too much communist...

Recommend 0

Majeed at Thani

Jan 08, 2019 07:42pm

Now it is time for PIA to develop an indigenous booking and reservation system. We have the talent to chart a new course by establishing our own global distribution system. Changing the livery alone may not pull the carrier of the doldrums. Also, if I remember correctly, there was a time when PIA Engineering was one of the best in the region. Taking a cue from Kamra under the leadership of an air marshal as chief pilot, I'm sure we are capable of restoring the carrier to its original preeminent position in the world of aviation.

Recommend 0

Seedoo

Jan 08, 2019 07:44pm

With all due respect to Chief Justice of Pakistan, Main Saqib Nisar. He should stop poking his nose into everything. If it were up to him, no one would be allowed to pass gas in the country without his approval. I did not like the new logo, but is this something wasting time and money over? With service and reputation at rock bottom, safety concerns, staff morale at an all time low, sky high debt, all PIA management can do is to change and then change the logo again and again. What a shame!

Recommend 0

kash

Jan 08, 2019 07:46pm

Well in reality only one plane was painted with new logo, and that was stopped by CJ. I liked the new PIA font with or without the markhor logo. It was rebranding and it did give PIA a little boost plus the decals method was cheaper in long run. PIA will probably go back to painting the log which costs more. tbh i dont mind if plane had no logo at all. The inflight entertainment and general customer service needs to improve.

Recommend 0

Farrukh

Jan 08, 2019 07:55pm

Improve service don't play around with logos etc. PIA is in dire need of capable management, as well as ban on worker unions.

Recommend 0

Daskalos

Jan 08, 2019 08:29pm

Good move. The old PIA logo was great.

Recommend 0

Jawwad

Jan 08, 2019 08:51pm

I do not agree with Supreme Court on this ruling. The Markhor logo was an absolute gem and breath of fresh air.

Recommend 0

merewether

Jan 08, 2019 08:51pm

The Markhor logo was very good. But it'll take more than a change of logo to set PIA right.

Recommend 0

SHAHID SATTAR

Jan 08, 2019 09:00pm

Thank you chief justice for doing away with this stupidity. The old logo should be retained for the coming times without any change until the fate of the airline is finally decided about. No more 'bright' ideas by the new incumbents to the high offices.

Recommend 0

N Abidi

Jan 08, 2019 09:05pm

PIA needs to fired currupt people's ,starts with the top! The planes crashes ,and people's life lost ,means that it is not safe to fly in PIA! There is a needs for educated people!

Recommend 0

Jan 08, 2019 09:13pm

Stop wasting tax payers money and closed down PIA as soon as possible. Judges cannot fix business and economic problems otherwise they were not judges but some sort of business people

Recommend 0

Adnan A

Jan 08, 2019 09:17pm

National Flag that is on PIA aircraft is the ugliest graphic design implemetation , Markhor being the national animal of Pakistan was not a bad idea at all.

Recommend 0

Samiullah Fatehi

Jan 08, 2019 09:38pm

Millions spent on changing it and millions on reintroduction. Seems PIA has a lot of money to undertake such decisions!

Recommend 0

Omar

Jan 08, 2019 09:39pm

Spend on maintenance and upgrade. These cosmetic changes are fooling no one!

Recommend 0

Tallat

Jan 08, 2019 09:53pm

Just wasting money

Recommend 0

Miqbal rangoonwala

Jan 08, 2019 09:56pm

With changing the logo will corrupt habits go away

Recommend 0

LUVPAK71

Jan 08, 2019 11:36pm

Good initiative, but govt. should inject more money into the airline and at the same time, should take measures to reduce cost, like cut excess head counts. A lot of work needs to be done in order to revive this airline and to bring this airline to the level of other airlines.

Recommend 0

Tariq, Lahore

Jan 08, 2019 11:37pm

The only way forward is to 'liquidate' the national carrier and start afresh with new name/logo and most of all, completely new management that will lean and efficient!

Recommend 0

Zak

Jan 09, 2019 01:58am

Good idea.

Recommend 0

Javed Abid

Jan 09, 2019 05:51am

Think before you change. Public opinion should have been sought before change to Morkhor logo. PIA Management should pull up its socks and improve and make PIA proud and safe national airline. By the way put a ban on air hostesses older than 30 years. Younger and smarter air hostesses will do better job and will have more initiative to give good service to passengers.

Recommend 0

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Jan 09, 2019 04:39pm

Too little, too late. Irreparable and irretrievable damages to the name and reputation of PIA have already been effected.

Recommend 0