ISLAMABAD – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) entered a new phase after privatisation, and now global design platform Canva has offered to organize and fully finance a nationwide branding competition aimed at giving the national carrier a fresh new look.
Canva’s General Manager for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Ahmed Iqbal announced the initiative in a LinkedIn post while appealing for help in reaching PIA’s leadership. Ahmed Iqbal said the platform wants to become part of PIA’s transformation as the airline embarks on a new journey in 2026 under new ownership and leadership.
Recalling PIA’s historic legacy, Iqbal called the airline as once being a symbol of Pakistan’s pride, excellence, and progress. He noted that PIA not only trained pilots from around the world but also played a key role in helping several countries establish their national airlines, making Pakistan a major aviation hub in the region.
He quoted PIA’s new leadership as saying, “A nation’s trust has to be earned, it cannot be taken for granted.” According to Iqbal, rebuilding that trust requires involving the entire nation in shaping the airline’s future. To achieve that goal, Canva has proposed launching a national design competition, with the company bearing the full cost of the initiative, including a significant prize pool for participants.
Under the proposal, designers from across Pakistan would compete to create brand-new PIA logo, a complete set of brand identity guidelines.
Iqbal said these are the kinds of creative projects millions of people complete on Canva every day, but this initiative would carry far greater significance by allowing Pakistanis to redefine the identity of one of the country’s most iconic national brands.
Calling initiative “by Pakistanis, for Pakistan,” Iqbal said the project aims to revive Pakistan’s design heritage while giving local creative talent a platform to contribute to the country’s flagship airline. He also appealed to the public, asking anyone with access to PIA’s senior management to facilitate an introduction or connect him directly with the relevant officials.
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