{"version":"1.9","identifier":"08bcda29-9244-486c-b022-acce479ec248","language":"en-US","title":"PIA's new HSY cabin crew uniforms debut Oct. 31 on its first Dreamliner flight from London","layout":{"columns":7,"width":1024,"margin":32,"gutter":20},"componentLayouts":{"text":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"maximumContentWidth":720,"margin":{"top":12,"bottom":12}},"photo":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"margin":{"top":20,"bottom":20}}},"componentTextStyles":{"default":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"textColor":"#171717"},"headline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue-Bold","fontSize":36,"lineHeight":42,"conditional":[{"conditions":{"maxViewportWidth":480},"fontSize":28,"lineHeight":34}]},"intro":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":20,"lineHeight":28,"textColor":"#555555"},"caption":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":19,"textColor":"#666666"},"byline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":20,"textColor":"#666666"},"body":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"paragraphSpacingAfter":14,"linkStyle":{"textColor":"#00704a"}}},"metadata":{"canonicalURL":"https://www.loungefrog.com/news/pia-new-hsy-cabin-crew-uniforms-787-london-debut","datePublished":"2026-10-24T13:27:16.853737Z","dateModified":"2026-10-24T13:28:39.939914Z","authors":["Patrick Karsh"],"excerpt":"PIA picked designer HSY after a 10-designer contest. The new look launches on a 787-9 that Norse Atlantic says it will fly for PIA, which raises a question.","thumbnailURL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/08bcda29-9244-486c-b022-acce479ec248/a01bb87c02bebc4ff5b6422424e3cf5b.jpg","keywords":["airline"],"generatorName":"Frog News","generatorVersion":"1.0"},"components":[{"role":"title","text":"PIA's new HSY cabin crew uniforms debut Oct. 31 on its first Dreamliner flight from London","textStyle":"headline","layout":"text"},{"role":"intro","text":"PIA picked designer HSY after a 10-designer contest. The new look launches on a 787-9 that Norse Atlantic says it will fly for PIA, which raises a question.","textStyle":"intro","layout":"text"},{"role":"byline","text":"By Patrick Karsh · Published October 24, 2026","textStyle":"byline","layout":"text"},{"role":"photo","URL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/08bcda29-9244-486c-b022-acce479ec248/a01bb87c02bebc4ff5b6422424e3cf5b.jpg","caption":"Designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), who created PIA's new cabin crew uniforms, in a photo released by the airline · Pakistan International Airlines","accessibilityCaption":"Designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), who created PIA's new cabin crew uniforms, in a photo released by the airline","layout":"photo"},{"role":"caption","text":"Designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), who created PIA's new cabin crew uniforms, in a photo released by the airline · Pakistan International Airlines","textStyle":"caption","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"Pakistan International Airlines has a new look for its cabin crew, and the first place passengers will see it is on board a jet that is new to the airline. PIA says the uniforms, designed by Pakistani couturier Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, better known as HSY, will make their \"official skyward debut on October 31, 2026, aboard PIA's inaugural Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight from London to Islamabad.\"","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"PIA revealed the uniforms in Lahore on Thursday, Oct. 22, and teased them on [its official X account](https://x.com/Official_PIA/status/2113295946037727334). That post has drawn more than 220,000 views and close to 1,000 likes, plus a long thread of replies from fans and critics.\n\n## What PIA says about the uniforms\n\nPIA's statement, as published by [Dawn](https://www.dawn.com/news/2039146) and [Arab News](https://www.arabnews.pk/pakistan/famed-pakistani-designer-hsy-to-design-new-pia-cabin-crew-uniforms-3004930), makes four main claims:\n\n* **Built for long flights.** The airline says the clothes are made for long-haul durability and easy movement, with soft, breathable fabrics and structured tailoring.\n* **Rooted in Pakistan.** PIA says the color palette celebrates Pakistani craftsmanship.\n* **Picked in a contest.** HSY was chosen after a competitive showcase in Karachi where 10 designers pitched. Rivals included Maheen Khan, Deepak Perwani, Faraz Manan, Amir Adnan and Nomi Ansari.\n* **Judged by insiders.** The jury included Khaadi founder Shamoon Sultan, Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design vice chancellor Hina Tayyaba Khalil, and Naseem Tehrani, a 33-year PIA veteran.\n\nHSY framed the job as a matter of national pride. \"Designing for our national flag carrier is about capturing our collective pride and the genuine warmth of Pakistani hospitality,\" he said in the statement. He added that the goal was to \"respect our heritage, reflect modern fashion, and tell our story beautifully in every airport across the globe.\"\n\nPIA's teaser video shows deep green outfits. The airline has not said when its whole cabin crew will switch to the new look, or whether every route will get it at once.\n\n## Why a uniform is a big deal at PIA\n\nPIA uniforms have a famous past, and the airline is leaning on it. In [an Oct. 22 post](https://x.com/Official_PIA/status/2113191077721321614), PIA recalled that French designer Pierre Cardin created its A-line tunic and hood in 1966. In the 1970s, Sir Hardy Amies, a royal couturier to Queen Elizabeth II, took over. Most recently, PIA says, a Nomi Ansari design lasted 12 years.\n\nSo this is not just a wardrobe swap. For many Pakistanis, the PIA uniform is a symbol of the country in the air. That helps explain why one post about clothes drew so much attention.\n\n## The Dreamliner twist\n\nThe bigger news may be the plane. PIA has flown Boeing 777s and Airbus A320s for years. The 787-9 is new to the airline, and it is not PIA's own jet.\n\nOn Oct. 9, Norse Atlantic Airways [announced a deal](https://news.cision.com/norse-atlantic-airways-as/r/norse-atlantic-asa--norse-and-pia-sign-partnership-for-two-boeing-787-9-dreamliners,c4406508) to fly two 787-9s for PIA. Norse said it would supply the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, with flying set to start at the beginning of November 2026. PIA chief executive Amir Hayat called them \"the first set of Dreamliners being adopted by the Pakistani market.\" We covered that deal when [Norse said it would leave New York and focus on the PIA lease](https://www.loungefrog.com/news/norse-atlantic-quits-new-york-pia-lease-sale-october-2026).\n\nThat raises a fair question. If Norse supplies the crew, who wears the new PIA uniforms on Oct. 31? PIA has not explained how its own cabin staff and Norse crews will split duties on these flights. It is also possible that the deal changed after Norse's release. Either way, travelers should not assume every crew member on a Dreamliner flight will be a PIA employee.\n\n## Our take\n\nNew uniforms are the cheapest way for an airline to signal a fresh start, and PIA clearly wants one after its sale to private owners in December 2025. The launch was smart. It tied the new look to the new jet and the London launch, so each story feeds the other.\n\nBut clothes do not fix delays or worn cabins. Many replies to PIA's posts made the same point: nice design, now fix the service. The real test starts on Oct. 31, when London passengers board a 787 with PIA's name on the ticket and judge the whole product, not just the outfits.\n\nFor more on the airline, see our [PIA airline page](https://www.loungefrog.com/airlines/pk).","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"}]}