KARACHl: Former bureaucrat Dr Musharraf Rasool Cyan has joined the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited as its chief executive officer (CEO), the company said on Tuesday.

Dr Cyan, who was appointed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in July, is the first CEO of the airline after it was converted into a public limited company in December.

Dr Cyan has been trained in aviation management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, United States, a PIA statement said. He also holds various degrees, including a doctorate in economics, and has worked with different international organisations in several countries.

A few weeks before his appointment, the airline filled some other important posts as well.

Zia Qadir Qureshi was appointed as PIA`s chief operating officer. He has worked in different sectors, including a managerial role in the strategic planning section of an Australian airline for a few years, PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajway told Dawn.

The third important position in PIA is that of Bilal Munir Sheikh, who has been appointed as the chief commercial officer.

He has served in the same role at a mobile-phone company, and also has experience of working in enterprise resource planning.