New Airline Launch Declared by Karachi’s Business Community

KARACHI: The aviation industry of Pakistan has taken a significant leap forward with the announcement of the introduction of a new airline, ‘Air Karachi,’ by the business community of Karachi.

Hanif Gohar also disclosed that the initiative is being initiated with an investment of Rs 5 billion, with each shareholder contributing Rs 50 million.

He verified that the federal government had received a request for a license for the new airline. Additionally, he stated that the airline will lease three aircraft for its operations during the initial phase. “The license for ‘Air Karachi’ is expected to be granted in the coming days,” Goher said.

Air Karachi intends to lease three aircraft during the initial segment. Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, Arif Habib, and SM Tanveer are among the notable businessmen who will serve as shareholders in the airline.

Retired Air Vice Marshal Imran, who was previously employed by the Southern Command, has been appointed as the airline’s CEO.Additionally, the airline is listed as having stakeholders, including Bashir Jan Mohammad, Khalid Towab, Zubair Tufail, and Hamza Tabani.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has affirmed that numerous new airlines have expressed interest in establishing operations in a variety of cities throughout Pakistan, indicating development in the aviation sector.

Jet Green, Q Airways, and Go Green Air have all applied for licenses, while Air Indus intends to resume operations. Furthermore, Liberty Air and Q Aviation have submitted applications for permits to commence operations.

CAA officials emphasize that the growing number of license applications is indicative of a positive economic shift, which provides improved travel options, stimulates foreign exchange, and generates employment opportunities. SereneAir, AirSial, and Airblue are private airlines that currently operate in Pakistan in conjunction with PIA.

PIA was ranked fourth in operational performance in a recent CAA report encompassing July–December 2023, with a departure and arrival ratio of 89.32%. This report suggests that there is room for improvement.