Pak's flagship airline unveils new uniform for crew, roasted over poor services

Pakistan International Airlines unveiled its new uniform for cabin crew, hoping to put a fresh face on the cash-strapped airline. But the fashion showcase triggered criticism online, with users asking PIA to fix its aircraft, operations and customer service before spending attention on a new wardrobe.

In Short

• PIA launched new cabin crew uniforms blending Pakistani fashion with functionality
• Social media users criticised focus on uniforms over aircraft and service improvements
• Passengers demand better punctuality, accountability and customer experience

A new uniform for cabin crew members was supposed to give cash-strapped Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) a fresh image. Instead, the national carrier of Pakistan's latest makeover has opened the door to a familiar list of complaints, with social media users, mostly Pakistanis, demanding better aircraft, punctuality, customer service and accountability.

The new collection was presented as a blend of contemporary Pakistani fashion and the practical demands of airline uniforms. In a post on X, PIA said nine Pakistani designers showcased their ideas for PIA's new 2026 uniforms on September 16, with the airline describing the event as a meeting point between Pakistani fashion and “the future of flight”.

PIA shared a video of the showcase on X, saying the designers had brought their vision for the airline's future uniforms to life by combining “fashion, functionality, identity and purpose”.

The response, however, quickly moved away from fashion. Social media users questioned why the airline was focusing on uniforms when they wanted to see improvements in its aircraft, operations and passenger services.

One user wrote, “Should've put more effort into upgrading the system, the planes, the services, and, most importantly, ‘the reputation’.”

The user added that their family was due to travel later this month but had not even considered checking PIA fares.

“My family and I are travelling this month, and due to this, we didn't even bother to check the fares of @Official_PIA, as we know we have to get ‘khawar’ at the end,” the user wrote.

Another user was even more blunt about the airline's priorities.

“PIA doesn’t need a new uniform. It f****ng needs a new operations team, accountability, customer service and an in-flight experience that doesn’t feel like a punishment. New clothes won’t fix rotten operations.”

Another user called the new uniform look a waste of resources.

“Wow. What a glorious waste of time, money and resources. When PIA was actually great, they spent a grand total of zero rupees on such stupid events. Designers will not save PIA. Good old honesty, hard work and merit will!” the user wrote.

A user questioned whether a new uniform would make passengers choose PIA.

“What the hell do you think will make us travel on PIA because you launched a new uniform? Please educate staff, maintain airplanes and ensure punctuality. Build your image by stopping smuggling and providing a clean, happy travel experience. We don't care what air hostesses are wearing,” the user tweeted.

“New uniform is secondary! You need to work on the aircraft facilities, customer service by the crew and punctuality,” another user wrote.

“Instead of focusing on uniforms, focus on aeroplanes... spend money where needed,” another post read.

PIA UNIFORM ALSO DRAWS CULTURAL CRITICISM

While most of the criticism centred on PIA's operations, some users also questioned the designs themselves and whether they adequately represented Pakistani culture.

“None of them are in proper national dress. Can't even find one design that truly represents Pakistani culture. Such losers,” one user wrote.

Another said PIA needed to balance its international ambitions with a more open image. “Remember, you are trying to cater to the world, not the Taliban. Have a dress that shows acceptance and open-mindedness,” the user said.

One commenter offered a detailed suggestion for the airline's cabin crew uniforms.

“Reality check: First, the international measurement standards of hostesses as well as stewards should be adhered to – a good frame is always ‘khush poshak’. The dress should be practical, like trousers instead of shalwar, and a hip-down top with a beret, but no scarf or dupatta.”

PIA PRIVATISED AFTER DECADES OF FAILED ATTEMPTS

The backlash comes less than a year after Pakistan completed the sale of a 75 per cent stake in PIA following decades of unsuccessful attempts to privatise the national carrier.

The winning bid, worth PKR 135 billion (around Rs 4,660 crore), came from a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation in December 2025.

Pakistan had been attempting to privatise PIA since the 1990s, with successive governments struggling for more than three decades to find a buyer and address the airline's financial and operational problems.

The sale marked a major step in the government's effort to shift PIA away from state ownership and put it on a more commercially sustainable footing.

For critics, a new uniform is unlikely to change perceptions of PIA unless it is accompanied by improvements in aircraft condition, punctuality, staff conduct, customer service and the overall passenger experience. In other words, PIA may have a new look. But its passengers ask when they will see a 'new-look airline'.

- Ends