Abdullah Ishaq

PMP-certified Project Manager with a proven record of delivering multi-million-pound/dollar aerospace manufacturing and infrastructure programmes end-to-end — from order receipt through to final delivery — 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. Skilled in production and project planning, risk/issue/dependency management, supplier and subcontract coordination, and driving On-Time Delivery (OTD) performance across concurrent projects. 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 at Pakistan Air Force (2021-01 – Present)

• Managed multiple concurrent aerospace manufacturing and infrastructure projects from requirement definition through to final delivery, maintaining schedule, cost and quality compliance in line with organisational governance.
• 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.
• Coordinated cross-functional teams across Engineering, Production, Quality and Sales to commercialise the new facility; managed customer-facing communication and requirements gathering, delivering £60K in confirmed orders at 91% customer satisfaction.
• Led and supervised a 120-person technical team at the Mirage Rebuild Factory (MRF), Kamra, on a critical, multi-million-pound Mirage aircraft rebuild project, planning and allocating resources, coordinating shift patterns and supplier inputs, monitoring KPIs and maintaining green RAG status — delivering 33% ahead of schedule and 12% under budget.
• 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.
• Managed procurement of raw materials, CNC tooling and process consumables required for the rebuild, coordinating supplier sourcing and delivery to keep the fabrication schedule on track.
• Led full vendor management cycle for commissioning of £180K CNC machining and forming equipment, including supplier evaluation, RFQ comparison and contract negotiation; managed FAT/SAT acceptance testing, achieving 100% specification compliance.
• Directed VIP configuration and interior refurbishment of multiple aircraft; identified production bottlenecks and implemented continuous improvement measures, reducing defects by 22% and rework hours by 25%.
• 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%.
• Coordinated with interior fit-out suppliers and quality inspection teams to ensure refurbished cabin interiors and upholstery met required finish, comfort and durability standards prior to aircraft handover.
• Acted as Project Manager for testing, handover and regulatory compliance 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; owned budget, schedule and contractor management across the full project lifecycle within a live operational airfield environment.

Assistant Project Manager at Pakistan Air Force, Risalpur (2019-01 – 2020-01)

• Supervised an aerospace manufacturing project as part of a Project Management team, supporting planning, coordination and delivery of interior refurbishment work on Saab, C-130 and other VIP and fighter aircraft.
• Assisted in coordinating cross-functional inputs and monitoring progress against schedule and quality requirements, working closely with senior project management and production staff.

Aviation Sciences and Management Studies – Pakistan Air Force