KARACHI: The federal government is fast-tracking the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), with four shortlisted consortiums scheduled to tour the airline’s headquarters next week.
Insiders reveal that these investor groups will receive comprehensive briefings at PIA’s Karachi headquarters. The sessions will include detailed discussions on human resources, financial status, fleet details, and operational aspects both domestically and internationally.
PIA management has been advised to ensure all preparations are in place for the upcoming visits. Notably, all four selected bidders will be granted access to the airline’s official business documentation before the bidding process formally starts. This step is designed to enable prospective investors to thoroughly assess PIA’s business model and operational parameters, aiding them in submitting well-informed bids.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Privatization Commission Board approved four investors for PIA during its 273rd meeting, chaired by Privatization Minister Muhammad Ali. The selection followed an extensive review of applications from five contenders, with the committee ultimately pre-qualifying four entities.
The pre-qualified groups include Lucky Cement Limited and Hub Power Holdings Limited in one consortium; Kohat Cement Company Limited and Metro Ventures Limited in another; Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Fatima Fertilizer in a third; and City Schools Limited and Lake City Holdings, with Fauji Fertilizer also involved in the third group, and Airblue in the fourth.
