A Karachi-based aviation company launching Pakistan’s first air taxi has received business interest from Saudi Arabia and UAE. According to a company official, the plan is to launch a booking app next week.
Sky Wings Aviation in Karachi and Wind Speed International in Thailand will establish an internet service to connect South Asian airports and enhance commerce and tourism.
Under Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licenses, Sky Wings Aviation provides chartered flights, ambulance services, and pilot training.
The service will be part of charter flight operations controlled by the country’s aviation standards, requiring passenger information such as nationality, address, contact numbers, purpose of travel, and aircraft specification.
Sky Wings Aviation COO Imran Aslam Khan says Middle Eastern businesses are requesting business model specifics.
Khan told Arab News that Dubai and Riyadh corporations were interested in the business model as the company revealed its Austrian-made aircraft with a German Jet A1 Fuel Engine in Karachi. He added:
Those companies are willing to work with us and they want us to visit them and they want us to give a sort of presentation that what kind of business model this is, basically, because it does not exist anywhere in the world.
Khan stated that the business model’s unique nature and the cheap aircraft models allow for a huge potential for international growth. He added that the company seeks to set up an app similar to Careem and Uber which can allow people to book their trips.
The fleet includes Seneca, Cessna, and an Austrian-made aircraft with a German Jet A1 Fuel Engine and three passenger seats that can fly at 300 km/h. Khan said that fares depended on the plane. He specified:
I am going to operate these aircraft from $100 one way to $350-400 an hour and it is like never heard of before. Because it includes the cost of the aircraft, maintenance, pilots, insurance and everything and with such kind of a model, I am confident that this sort of aviation taxi is going to grow the world over.