Tewolde Gebremariam Takes Helm at Pakistan International Airlines

Former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam has been appointed chief executive of Pakistan International Airlines, taking the helm as the carrier embarks on a new chapter in the hands of a local business conglomerate following its recent privatization.

Tewolde’s career at Ethiopian Airlines spanned nearly four decades. He joined as a traffic officer in the 1980s before rising to head the carrier’s operations in India, then Saudi Arabia and North America. In 2006, he was appointed chief operating officer. Five years later, he took over from Girma Wake as CEO.

Under Tewolde’s tenure, Ethiopian Airlines saw unprecedented growth, quadrupling its annual revenue to USD 4.5 billion, expanding its fleet to over 130 aircraft, and growing its cargo operations to become the largest airline in Africa. Tewolde also oversaw the construction and opening of the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, and Ethiopian’s membership in Star Alliance.

He retired in March 2022, citing personal health reasons and was succeeded by Mesfin Tasew, who is himself expected to retire later this year.

This week, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)—whose ownership was recently transferred from the Pakistani government to a consortium led by local business conglomerate Arif Habib Group—-announced Tewolde is taking the helm as CEO.

In recent years, PIA has suffered major losses as a result of mismanagement and serious lapses in regulatory oversight. In May 2020, a PIA flight crashed due to human error and non-adherence, killing all but two of 97 passengers on board.

A couple of months later, Pakistan’s aviation minister told lawmakers that nearly a third of PIA’s 860 active pilots had been found to have fake or suspicious licenses. The carrier was subsequently banned from European airspace, while the news also carried repercussions for its operations elsewhere.

In December 2025, a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group, a Pakistani finance and manufacturing conglomerate, acquired a 75 percent stake in the previously state-owned PIA after offering USD 482 million at auction.

The consortium later acquired the remaining 25 percent ownership stake in PIA.

As of early 2026, the carrier owned a fleet of 35 aircraft, including 20 Airbus A320-200s. Under the new ownership, Tewolde will be tasked with overseeing growth to a fleet of 65 aircraft and a return to profitability.