Abdullah Ishaq

PMP-certified Project Manager with a proven record of delivering multi-million-pound/dollar aerospace manufacturing and infrastructure programmes end-to-end, consistently on time, within budget and in full compliance with quality and regulatory requirements.

Background within the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), an environment built on rigorous governance, safety and compliance standards closely aligned to AS9100 and other regulated manufacturing environments, instilling a disciplined, results-driven approach and strong leadership skills. Experienced leading cross-functional and production teams of up to 120 people, managing multi-million-pound/dollar budgets, and acting as the primary interface between customers, suppliers and internal departments up to senior management level.

Project Manager – Aerospace Design & Manufacturing - Pakistan Air Force - Kamra

(2021-01 - 2026-12)

• Delivered £60K in confirmed orders at 91% customer satisfaction — coordinated cross-functional teams across Engineering, Production, Quality and Sales to commercialise a new facility, managing customer-facing communication and requirements gathering.
• Led a 120-person technical team, delivering 33% ahead of schedule and 12% under budget on a critical, multi-million-pound Mirage aircraft rebuild project at the Mirage Rebuild Factory (MRF), Kamra — planning resources, coordinating shift patterns and supplier inputs, and maintaining green RAG status throughout.
• Directed CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, heat treatment and surface treatment processes to manufacture replacement parts and airframe sheet panels for the Mirage rebuild, ensuring components met specification and quality requirements.
• Led full vendor management cycle for £180K CNC machining and forming equipment, including supplier evaluation, RFQ comparison and contract negotiation; managed FAT/SAT acceptance testing, achieving 100% specification compliance.
• Reduced defects by 22% and rework hours by 25% by directing VIP configuration and interior refurbishment of multiple aircraft, identifying production bottlenecks and implementing continuous improvement measures.
• Established a £400K Aerospace Design Office, reducing foreign component supplier dependency by enabling in-house parts production; owned budgeting, vendor selection and contract negotiation — reducing external sourcing by 70% and supply lead times by 88%.
• Project Managed testing, handover and regulatory sign-off of a radar installation delivered with Leonardo, coordinating acceptance testing and documentation review, and resolving technical/scheduling issues between PAF stakeholders and the contractor.
• Appointed overall Project Manager for a multi-million-dollar runway and taxiway construction and renovation project, owning budget, schedule and contractor management across the full lifecycle within a live operational airfield environment.
• Led refurbishment of interior cabins and upholstery for Saab and other VIP aircraft, overseeing removal, rework and reinstallation of interior fittings and upholstered components to meet client specification and quality standards.

Assistant Project Manager - Pakistan Air Force - Risalpur

(2019-01 - 2020-12)

• Supported planning, coordination and delivery of interior refurbishment on Saab, C-130 and other VIP and fighter aircraft, coordinating cross-functional inputs against schedule and quality requirements.

BSc (Hons) - Aviation Science & Management - Pakistan Air Force (2024-12)