New Zealand-born aviation executive Adrian Hamilton-Manns succeeds Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat as PIA looks to improve operational efficiency, service standards and financial performance under private management.
ISLAMABAD: New Zealand-born aviation executive Adrian Hamilton-Manns has taken charge as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), bringing more than 30 years of international aviation experience to the country’s national carrier as it enters a crucial phase of its transformation under private-sector management.
The PIA Board of Directors announced his appointment on Monday, November 2, 2026. Hamilton-Manns succeeds Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, who served as the airline’s chief executive for approximately four-and-a-half years and oversaw its preparations for privatisation.
In its announcement, PIA described the incoming CEO as an expert in transforming and reviving aviation businesses, highlighting his experience of leading three airlines as chief executive.
The appointment comes after the transfer of PIA’s management control to a private consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation in June 2026, following the successful privatisation process.
A career spanning three decades
Hamilton-Manns began his aviation career at Air New Zealand in 1997. Over the following years, he held senior commercial and leadership positions at several international airlines, including South African Airways, India’s IndiGo, Virgin Australia’s Pacific Blue and Indonesia’s Mandala Airlines.
He subsequently moved into senior executive positions, becoming the founding CEO of Africa-focused low-cost carrier flyafrica.com, where he served from 2012 to 2016.
From April 2020 to July 2024, he served as president and CEO of FlyArystan, the low-cost subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s Air Astana Group. He later became CEO of Oman’s SalamAir in June 2024, remaining in the position until October 2026.
According to Business Recorder, Hamilton-Manns holds a Bachelor of Aviation degree from Massey University in New Zealand and an MBA in Tourism from the University of Cumbria in the United Kingdom.
Experience in transforming low-cost airlines
Much of Hamilton-Manns’ executive career has been associated with low-cost carriers, which generally operate with leaner cost structures and focus on operational efficiency and additional passenger-service revenue.
His tenure at FlyArystan coincided with substantial business expansion. Figures cited by aviation publication Aviacionline, based on Air Astana Group data, indicate that the airline’s revenue increased by 384% between 2020 and 2023, climbing from $57.4 million to $277.8 million. Its fleet also expanded to 19 aircraft.
At SalamAir, the airline operated 5,144 flights and transported 712,610 passengers between April and June 2025, according to figures published by Forbes Middle East.
Hamilton-Manns was also included in Forbes Middle East’s 2025 list of the region’s 100 leading figures in travel and tourism, ranking 90th.
What does his appointment mean for PIA?
Hamilton-Manns takes charge at a significant turning point for PIA, which has faced years of financial losses, operational difficulties and declining competitiveness.
On December 23, 2025, an Arif Habib-led consortium won the auction for a 75% stake in the national carrier with a bid of Rs135 billion. The government subsequently transferred management control to the consortium on June 29, 2026, following the completion of the transaction’s first financial closing.
The new management has outlined plans to improve the airline’s commercial performance, strengthen its operations and expand its fleet and international network.
However, Hamilton-Manns faces a different challenge at PIA compared with his previous leadership assignments. Unlike the low-cost airlines he has largely managed, PIA operates as a full-service carrier with a broader route network, a larger organisational structure and more extensive operational responsibilities.
His ability to apply the commercial discipline, cost-management strategies and operational experience gained at previous airlines to PIA’s full-service business model will be an important test of his leadership.
The PIA board has expressed confidence that his international experience will help improve service standards, advance the airline’s strategic objectives and achieve sustainable profitability.
He replaces Amir Hayat, whom the board credited with introducing structural reforms, improving operational efficiency and preparing the airline for privatisation. Hamilton-Manns now faces the task of translating the change in ownership into lasting improvements for Pakistan’s national flag carrier.
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