
World Business Report Pakistani auctions its state airline live on TV
Dec 24, 2025
Muhammad Ali, a privatisation adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister, discusses the groundbreaking live auction of Pakistan International Airlines, revealing the motivations, past challenges, and future prospects of the sale. Susan Schmidt provides insights on the impact of US tariffs on global markets, emphasizing their effect on jobs and industries in India and South Africa. Ajay Srivastav and Busisiwe Mavuso delve into the consequences of these tariffs, highlighting trade negotiation priorities and economic implications for their respective countries.
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Televised Sale Ensured Transparency
- Pakistan sold PIA via a live televised auction to ensure transparency and public awareness of state asset disposal.
- The Arif Habib group will pay $480m with ~$400m earmarked for PIA investment to revive operations.
Force Buyers To Fund Turnaround
- Structure deals to require buyers to invest in the business, not just buy the brand or assets.
- Split payments so most capital is injected early and remaining funds follow after performance milestones.
Debt Relief Made PIA Viable
- PIA's losses stemmed from fleet decline, low utilization and chronic overstaffing since 2009-10.
- Removing $2bn of debt made the airline operationally viable and attractive to private operators.
