Pakistan is all set to welcome as many as five new airlines within one year. The five airlines planning to launching operations in Pakistan are:
- Afeef Zara Airways
- Askari Air
- Air Sial
- Go Green
- Liberty Air
The Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Shahzad Dada said:
Air traffic has surged by over 40% within last five years to approximately 20 million passengers.
Muhammad Afsar Malik, former Additional Director of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said that the current surge in demand shows that the open skies policy has been fruitful for Pakistanis.
As per the reports, the new airlines will cover these routes:
- Bannu
- Chitral
- Dalbandin
- Gwadar
- Khuzdar
- Muzaffarabad
- Panjgur
- Parachinar
- Skardu
- Turbat
Growth Rate of Pakistan’s Aviation Sector could touch 9% per year and could continue till 2020: The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Routes like Gwadar, Skardu, and Turbat will help the airlines make huge profits due to emergence of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Mr. Malik, Ex-CAA Additional Director, said that Pakistan’s domestic air traffic saw a rise of 10% as compared to the international air traffic that stood at 4%.
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He added that the airlines, due to competition in the sector, also decreased fares to attract more people. “The air ticket you got for Rs. 10,000 would have cost around Rs. 30,000,” he maintained.
PIA
The entry of new airlines, however, will add fresh challenges for the already struggling Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The Gulf carriers, including UAE’s Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways, are already giving a tough time to PIA as these foreign carriers are providing better services and cheaper rates than PIA on international routes. Moreover, these carriers are state-funded.
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PIA, on the other hand, is not ready to accept defeat just yet. PIA spokesperson, while responding to an email query, said, “Private airlines, especially foreign carriers, have mainly resorted to price cuts, instead of going more towards customer satisfaction in terms of comfort and improved services.”
RIP PIA. Why Saraiki Wasaib Including Dera Ismail Khan ignored by all 5 new private airlines?
at least used the Pakistani airlines pic in featured image instead of BA pic.
Even Propakistani prefers a foreign airline :))
Askari Air…….. COME ON BOYZessss.. Keep playing well Lads. Next stop. Askari Autos :)
Except for Air Sial, rest of the names mentioned are fictitious and do not bear any resemblance to any sketches on drawing board.
Ye to pirwadhai wala hisab ban’ny wala hay. Pakar pakar k bitha rahy hon gy sawarion ko
With the development of CPEC and downfall of PIA, I think there was great need of new airline companies. That is what going to happen. Its a big news.
PIA seems to have lost a great opportunity that other airlines are taking. The CEO needs to be replaced by one competent enough to visualize its future better.
PIA needs to get rid of political influence and operate like a company that hires and fires on merit . Not like a personal company for politicians to dump their voters who need a job .
Very well spoken. You have analyzed the situation and condition well. I completely agree with you. Can you think of a way to improve the company in the future?
How would you you go about doing it? From what you have stated, privatization may be the pragmatic solution. Then perhaps dumping of favored personnel will be reduced and merit recruiting increased, do you think so?
PIA losing it because of itself. I have traveled PIA and I dont intend to do it in the future. Flight delays, cancellations, rude and unprofessional staff, dirty seat and ripped carpets are few issues that i would mention…
Foreign carriers have gone toward price cuts instead of comfort and satisfaction for customer ? Hahahahaha …..this simply means this PIA spokesperson has always traveled free of charge on PIA and has never ever traveled on any other airline to know what comfort or satisfaction means.Awesome comic.
it is very unfortunate that the number of flight in a small town of India(Amratsar) are more than Islamabad. We are very unfortunate people who cover distance of 2 hours in 12 hours via Dubai or Qatar. For instance, There is no direct flight from Islamabad to central Asian states which are situated just in the neighbourhood of Pakistan.
Now it is the time of open skies and lands for tourism but as a Pakistani we can not avail this Oppurtunity and unfortunatly it never remained agenda item/priority of our foreign ministry. Even tourism is very healthy activity for the promotion and building of our mind and health. it is y humble request that every Pakistani should stand for the promotion of this activity. so that, we can compete with the rest of advance world.
One year ago this news was published but not single airline came in operation. Will u write follow up story?