Airline seeks flights to smaller cities

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2501376/airline-seeks-flights-to-small...


KARACHI:
A domestic airline already operating in Pakistan has sought approval from the CAA to launch flights to smaller airports using low-capacity aircraft.

The move aims to provide air travel options for passengers currently relying on buses, trains, and cars for long journeys from the North to the South of the country.

During a press conference on Monday, Director General of the CAA Nadir Shafi Dar addressed several matters concerning Pakistan's aviation sector. It was his first formal media briefing since the CAA's recent restructuring into two divisions.

Dar announced that airports in smaller cities, including Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, and more remote regions like Gwadar, Gilgit, and Skardu, would soon offer regular air services.

An existing airline has already requested permission to operate small aircraft on these routes, with plans to introduce flights for up to 40 to 50 passengers by early 2025.

The airline will initially deploy at least three small aircraft, with services expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

The DG further expressed optimism that more airlines would follow suit, boosting air connectivity for primary and secondary airports across the country.

"Currently, about 30 million passengers travel from the North to the South annually by bus, train, or car. If the airline sets reasonable fares, this route could become commercially viable," said Dar.

He also provided an update on PIA, saying that an audit of all national airline aircraft had been initiated following several incidents of technical landings and other issues.

Sukkur Airport expected to launch international flights soon - Pakistan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1898964

International flights from Begum Nusrat Bhutto Sukkur Airport are expected to begin soon amid plans to expand the airport, it emerged on Wednesday following a Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) meeting.

PAA’s Planning and Development Director Abbas Sheikh and other officials visited the Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry today for a meeting and to discuss the airport’s expansion. During the occasion, the chamber’s committee convener, Muhammad Mohsin Farooq, announced that approval was granted for two weekly flights from Sukkur to Jeddah beginning from July this year.

He credited the development to the efforts of Sukkur Chamber of Commerce President Khalid Kakezai and former president Bilal Waqar Khan.

The officials also discussed expansion plans for the Sukkur Airport, including building cargo terminals and runways to facilitate cargo flights.

The officials directed that estimates be provided for products exported from Sukkur and surrounding areas to develop a comprehensive development plan for passenger and cargo flights.

Former president of the Sukkur Chamber of Commerce, Abdul Fatah Sheikh, highlighted the various products exported from the city, including dates, cotton, rice, pickles, fruits, vegetables, fish, and handicrafts, which are currently exported through Karachi, Multan, and Faisalabad.

However, with the airport’s expansion, these products will be exported directly from Sukkur, he said.

In 2019, Pakistan International Airlines launched direct international passenger flights from Sialkot International Airport to Europe.

Saad @AirlinePilotMax


Why Pakistan’s next aviation boom won’t start in Karachi or Lahore… it will start with 70–90 seat regional jets.

Everyone talks about CPEC, tourism potential, and Gwadar — but ask any traveler from Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral, or even Multan how many flights they actually get per week. The bottleneck isn’t demand. It’s connectivity.

Here’s the quiet truth: Pakistan’s geography and demographics are textbook-perfect for modern regional jets like EmbraerE-Jets .

Why they can become the real backbone of feeder routes:

1. Runway reality
Most northern and secondary airports (Skardu 11,000 ft but high elevation, Chitral, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, DG Khan, etc.) can’t reliably take 737s/A320s year-round, especially in summer. A 76-seat E175 performs where the big narrowbodies struggle.

2. Frequency > Capacity
Gilgit in peak season sells out 2–3 daily 50-seaters in minutes. One 180-seat A320 a day doesn’t solve the problem — four 78-seat flights do. Higher frequency unlocks tourism and same-day business travel.

3. Unit cost revolution
New-generation regional jets (E2, A220) now have seat costs within 5–10 % of an A320 on stages <500 nm, but with half the trip cost. Perfect for thin routes that can’t fill 180 seats yet.

4. Domestic feed = International yield
Every passenger from Skardu, Chitral or Sukkur who connects in Islamabad or Lahore is pure marginal revenue for PK, EK, QR, TK widebody flights. Feed the hubs, feed the bottom line.

5. Proven model next door
India went from 20 regional jets in 2015 to over 120 today (mostly under UDAN). Result? New stations, lower fares, and routes that eventually graduated to A320s when traffic matured. Pakistan can copy-paste the playbook.

The fleet Pakistan truly needs in the next 5–7 years isn’t 30 more A320s… it’s 30–40 modern regional jets, flown aggressively on 40–50 underserved routes.

When a family in Hunza can fly to Karachi same-day return for a medical appointment, or a textile buyer from Faisalabad can visit three cities in one day — that’s when aviation becomes an economic accelerator, not just transport.

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