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Pakistan International Airlines’ in-flight music was more than background sound: it linked the passenger journey to Pakistani musical culture, from boarding playlists and radio plays to a cassette series that moved between folk, semi-classical, electronic, ghazal and pop influences. Its best-documented story runs from onboard programmes in the 1970s to releases reported through 2013, though current catalog access and licensing are not established.
More than music between announcements
PIA’s audio programming accompanied different stages of a flight, including boarding, take-off and landing. It also offered more than songs: accounts describe radio plays, local playlists and international radio shows as part of the onboard mix. Collector Kamran Sekha recalled that passengers received one-page programme lists and that selections changed every three to six months.
Sekha’s recollection places the first numbered audio programme alongside the acquisition of the DC-10-30 in 1974. That date and the rotation schedule come from his first-person forum account, not an official PIA archive. He also noted that most programmes were not released in their entirety, so the commercial cassette series represents only part of the airline’s audio history.
For Sekha, the sound became memorable on a return flight to Pakistan in 1978. “The first time I really noticed the music was on a flight back to Pakistan in 1978,” he told Scroll’s Natasha Noorani. The same 2019 feature recalled that headphones could cost up to $2.50 in the 1970s, a period detail reported in the context of Sekha’s recollection.
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How the EMI Pakistan cassette series developed
Scroll’s 2019 account says PIA began a contract with EMI in 1976, after Boeing 747s joined the fleet; the feature attributes the timing to EMI Pakistan COO Zeeshan Chaudhry. The resulting PIA In-Flight Music series was recorded, curated, produced and distributed for the airline. Music director and EMI supervisor Arshad Mahmud told Scroll that “the prompt from PIA was to create easy-listening songs, similar to the music of James Last.”
Mahmud also recalled passengers responding to a “signature sitar sound [that] would transport them to Pakistan as soon as they boarded.” Across the volumes, the music’s identity was not a single genre. The selections brought Pakistani musical references into an airline setting while adapting to changing production styles.
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| Volume and period | Musical direction | Notable details reported |
|---|---|---|
| Volume One, 1976–77 | Folk and semi-classical reinterpretations alongside synth-based Western ensemble sounds | Alghoza and sarangi feature in the mix; bands included The Aay Jays, Mods and The Panthers. Scroll credits M Ashraf and G.A. Chishti with blending Eastern and Western instrumentation. |
| Volume Two, 1978 | More contemporary, electronic and experimental | Karim Shahabuddin’s travel-themed pieces included “Happy Landing,” “Batik Route” and “Black Gold.” Sekha said its 13 tunes matched audio programme #8. |
| Volume Three, mid-1980s | Ghazals and vocal performance | After a gap, this was described as the series’ only vocal entry, with work associated with Mehdi Hassan, Farida Khanum and Amanat Ali Khan. |
| Volume Four, 1993 | Instrumental pop and folk emphasis | Scroll describes sequencers replacing the need for live musicians in the production sound. The cassette closes with a spacey instrumental rendition of Vital Signs’ “Dil Dil Pakistan.” |
From folk textures to electronic soundscapes
Volume One: a deliberate meeting of sounds
The first volume established the series’ blend of recognizable Pakistani instruments and contemporary studio arrangements. Folk and semi-classical material was reimagined alongside synth-based ensembles, creating a sound designed for easy listening without reducing the music to generic lounge backing.
Volume Two: travel themes and experimentation
By 1978, the music had shifted toward a more contemporary character, in a period when records were more available and electronic soundscapes were developing. Shahabuddin’s titles—“Happy Landing,” “Batik Route” and “Black Gold”—made the travel setting part of the musical concept. Sekha’s assertion that all 13 tracks corresponded to programme #8 connects one commercial volume to a specific onboard programme, but it does not establish that every programme was issued on cassette.
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Volume Three: the vocal exception
The mid-1980s volume broke with the earlier instrumental pattern. Scroll describes it as the only entry in the series with vocals, centered on ghazals associated with Mehdi Hassan, Farida Khanum and Amanat Ali Khan. Unlike the earlier releases, it did not credit bands or music directors in the same manner.
Volume Four: sequencers and pop references
The 1993 return to instrumentals leaned into pop and folk. Scroll’s account notes that sequencers took the place of live musicians in the production sound. Ending on an instrumental version of “Dil Dil Pakistan” placed a widely recognizable pop reference inside an atmospheric, airline-oriented arrangement.
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Why the later releases are harder to trace as one series
After Volume Five, Scroll reported, the releases became harder to organize as a cohesive sequence. As EMI transitioned to EMI Pakistan in the early 1990s, PIA commissioned music from several music directors and worked with other labels, including Shalimar Recording and Geo Production. The result was a less centralized history than the numbered EMI volumes suggest.
The 2019 feature reported that releases continued through 2013, after which PIA ceased music licensing and commissioned contracts lapsed. That is a report about the licensing situation described at that time, not confirmation of present-day rights, onboard selections or catalog availability. A January 2019 reference to Qaseeda Burda Sharif returning on flights to Jeddah and Madina likewise records a contemporary report, not a claim about what passengers hear today.
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- PRECISION-FOCUSED NOISE CANCELLING MICROPHONE: The Bose A30’s microphone is engineered for aircraft with “hot mic” or PTT systems to increase clarity and reduce background noise during transmission.
- FAA TSO and EASA E/TSO-C139a CERTIFIED: The Bose A30’s robust design has passed 145 tests by the Bose engineering and quality assurance team to ensure endurance in challenging flight environments.
- THREE SELECTABLE MODES OF ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION: Industry-leading active noise reduction with adjustable modes accommodates different use cases or pilot personal preference.
- ACTIVE EQUALIZATION: Incoming signals are shaped and equalized for unmatched audio clarity and intelligibility to this headset with mic.
What survives as a historical record
The clearest reconstruction comes from the documented cassette volumes and remembered programme details. Scroll’s 2019 feature, by Natasha Noorani, first appeared on Dawn; Sekha’s 2009 History of PIA forum post provides a collector’s first-person account of programme lists and rotation. These are valuable but different kinds of evidence: the former describes the series and reports industry context, while the latter is a recollection rather than an official airline archive.
For collectors, “PIA In Flight Music cassette” is a useful search phrase for the physical releases. It does not establish current stock, an authorized seller, an official reissue, or permission to listen to uploads. Neither present-day licensing nor a complete official digital archive is established by the cited accounts.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Natasha Noorani, “Singing on a jet plane: A brief history of Pakistan International Airlines’ in-flight music,” Scroll.in, 24 March 2019.
- Kamran Sekha, “PIA Inflight Music from 1977 to 1980,” History of PIA forum, 25 January 2009.
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