Designer of stylised Urdu script PIA initials

[Abbas Ali]

Stylised Urdu script PIA initials introduced in 1976 - Copyright PIA

Since long time I had been trying to find info about the designer of stylized Urdu script PIA initials introduced for the first time in 1976 on airline’s green & gold livery designed by Negus & Negus of London. Finally, the answer came from former Managing Director PIA Arif Ali Khan Abbasi in talk show ‘Lucman Dot Com’ aired on BusinessPlus.TV on Thursday (November 23, 2006). It was surprising for me when Mr. Abbasi told the show host Mubasher Lucman that the stylized Urdu script PIA initials were designed by a London-based Chinese artist for Negus & Negus company.


Managing Director PIA Arif Ali Khan Abbasi (4th from left) at airlines' Best Cabin Crew Award Distribution Ceremony in 1990s - Copyright © Wahab Khan

Mr. Abbasi said that green & gold livery’s all green tail with white PIA on it was more recognizable than Swissair tail at international airports around the world. He also talked about 1990s sporty livery which was also designed by Negus & Negus. He told the show host that wife of Negus & Negus owner played important role in running the London-based company and upon her death the owner of Negus & Negus decided to shut down the company.

Mr. Abbasi discussed rise and fall of PIA’s various departments including engineering, finance, marketing and reservation. He mentioned ticketing/reservation software jointly developed by PIA & KLM in the 1980s and said that the software was not only used by PIA and KLM but also purchased by other airlines including Alitalia. PIA fleet and issue of EU restrictions on PIA aircraft were also discussed. Cabin crew uniform and province tails recently introduced by the airline also came under discussion. Like myself, Mr. Abbasi supports one standard tail for all aircraft of Pakistan’s national flag carrier. While discussing PIA's old slogan 'Great People to Fly With', Mr. Abbasi said that airline's current slogan 'Come Fly With Us' is copied from United Airlines slogan 'Come Fly With Me'. He also discussed PIA route network, purchase of aircraft, political appointments in the airline, PIA’s role in formation of airlines like Alia, Air Malta, Emirates, Singapore Airlines etc, and many other issues related to PIA.

It was a great show, very well hosted by Mubasher Lucman, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and found it very informative for a PIA enthusiast like myself.

Abbas

[inducedrag]

Last month a friend of mine a pilot on B777 told me that while taxing out of Amsterdam airport ATC asked another airliner to give way to Pakistan 777 on his right his reply was I don't see any Pakistan do you mean PAPA INDIA ALPHA

[SaadSaeed]

Abbas did you record the interview? If so do you think you can share it on youtube?

Last month a friend of mine a pilot on B777 told me that while taxing out of Amsterdam airport ATC asked another airliner to give way to Pakistan 777 on his right his reply was I don't see any Pakistan do you mean PAPA INDIA ALPHA

ROFL yes this was my only quirk about the livery change that they forced branding over identity. Ive heard PIA being pronounced "piya" (as in 'Mera piya ghar aaya.') by a dutch airport staff member. PAPA INDIA ALPHA is a new one

[Abbas Ali]

Last month a friend of mine a pilot on B777 told me that while taxing out of Amsterdam airport ATC asked another airliner to give way to Pakistan 777 on his right his reply was I don't see any Pakistan do you mean PAPA INDIA ALPHA

While discussing current PIA livery in talk show, Mr. Abbasi mentioned how the fuselage titles in 1990s sporty livery were reduced to 'Pakistan' from 'Pakistan International' of earlier liveries. He said word 'Pakistan' was retained on fuselage to let people at international airports know that the aircraft belongs to Pakistan.

Abbas did you record the interview? If so do you think you can share it on youtube?

Saad, I didn't record it.

Abbas

[AP-BGJ]

salam abbas

thats great mate u saw the interview..i badly wanted to hear from this guy arif abbasi as i have heard that he was no nosense guy i dunno how far that is true.

as far as the livery is concerned man i somehow i belong to the old school. yes there has been changes in liveries world wide and more recently qatar airways have introduced a new livery but as far as PIA is concerned i think the current livery is pretty dull the off white and white and the tail change is a good oe but i guess it will be only for a limited time. like the british airways had in 2000.

honestly i would love to see the old livery back and i guess some minor changes to that would be acceptable..but all in all easily the best livery PIA ever had i still meet ppl here who still view that livery as the best.

recently when i went to heathrow for plane spotting i met a guy who has been comming to heathrow for last 20 years and his personal opinion was that PIA had the best livery and would be hit today as well...

best regards to everyone

cheers!!!

[AP-BGL]

Last month a friend of mine a pilot on B777 told me that while taxing out of Amsterdam airport ATC asked another airliner to give way to Pakistan 777 on his right his reply was I don't see any Pakistan do you mean PAPA INDIA ALPHA

Calling ‘PIA’ as ‘piya’ could be a pronunciation but what could that absolutely new abbreviation PAPA INDIA ALPHA mean? I mean it doesn’t make any sense and any one or at least me cannot actually know what this new word means?

But if you see the result of removing PAKISTAN from the body of the airplane then its apparent that people around the word don’t recognize PIA as airline from Pakistan.

[Abbas Ali]

.... but what could that absolutely new abbreviation PAPA INDIA ALPHA mean? I mean it doesn’t make any sense and any one or at least me cannot actually know what this new word means?

The Air Traffic Controller (ATC) used Phonetic Alphabets Papa India Alpha for PIA.

In the world of aviation, there is a different way of learning your ABC's. Phonetic Alphabets are used by Military, Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers and Customer Service Agents within the airlines so that critical combinations of letters (and numbers) can be pronounced and understood by those who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of their native language, especially when the safety of navigation or persons is essential. It is a great way to make sure you are understood (since a B, P, T, and V sound hauntingly similar when spoken).

Here's complete list of Phonetic Alphabets used in aviation:-

A - Alpha
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Gulf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliet
K - Kilo
L - Lima
M - Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-ray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zulu

Info Source & Related Links:
FAA - Radio and Interphone Communications
Air Travel - Phonetic Alphabet
NATO phonetic alphabet

[AP-BGL]

Thank you very much Abbas Bhai, entirely new information for me.

[samee380]

how old is Arif ali kahn abbasi? probably he should come back and sort PIA out? From what my dad says he was a very intelligent man and made PIA very successful in his time.

NOW ITS A MESS!!! shame

[AP-BGJ]

Salam everyone

Abbas mate please can u just something else what Mr A A K Abbasi said in the interview just curious. Never heard him on any interviews in Pakistan so just wanna know some thing more he said

I would greatly appreciate this

Regards!!

[raihans]

It was surprising for me when Mr. Abbasi told the show host Mubasher Lucman that the stylized Urdu script PIA initials were designed by a London-based Chinese artist for Negus & Negus company.

very intresting to know that a Chinese artist designed the PIA's Urdu script.

BTW...Abbas the information you have posted is really a very informative for us