UAE-based Air Arabia, Pakistan’s first budget airline, to take off in 18 months — experts

KARACHI: Pakistan’s aviation experts said on Saturday the country’s first budget airline was likely to take off in the next 18 months after the United Arab Emirates-based Air Arabia and its local partner, Lakson Group, said they had formed a joint venture to launch Fly Jinnah airline.
The country’s aviation industry has faced troubles in recent months after a plane crash in Karachi last year in which 97 people were killed.
The tragedy was followed by a statement by Pakistan’s aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan who said a majority of pilots in the country either held fake licenses or did not take necessary qualification exams themselves.
The two events created significant turbulence for the country’s national air carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, which was internationally prohibited to fly on several lucrative routes.
On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan met with the chairman of Air Arabia, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, to welcome his decision to invest in the country.
“This airline will take about 18 months to begin its operations after securing the required regulatory approval,” Afsar Malik, an aviation analyst, told Arab News.
Fly Jinnah, along with two other airlines, applied for regular public transport licenses from the Civil Aviation Authority to launch domestic flight operations in Pakistan.
The new air carrier shares Pakistan’s strategic vision of strengthening the country’s travel and tourism sector and aims to contribute to the national economic growth through job creation.
The airline also seeks to offer reliable service to passengers along with unprecedented value for money.
“We are confident that Fly Jinnah will add value to the air transport sector of Pakistan and directly contribute to the local economy through job creation and the development of travel and tourism sector,” Al Thani was quoted in a statement issued by Air Arabia on Friday.
The Middle Eastern airline has remained operational since 2003 and is listed on the Dubai Financial Market. It has a fleet of 58 new Airbus A320 and A321 aircrafts, and it serves some 170 routes from five different hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt.
Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED44 million ($12 million) after the first six months of the year, constituting a 126 percent increase in its earnings compared to the corresponding period in 2020.
“Fly Jinnah will serve Pakistan’s travel and tourism sector and play a constructive role in contributing to the nation’s economic growth,” Iqbal Ali Lakhani, chairman of Lakson Group, said in a statement.
“This partnership also reflects our commitment to support the development of Pakistan’s air transport sector while providing the citizens and visitors of the country with a new option of value for money air travel,” he continued, adding: “Air Arabia enjoys a track record of reliable and efficient operations, and we look forward to working closely towards launching and developing the new airline.”
The statement issued by the two companies said they were trying to secure the air operating certificate, making aviation experts like Malik speculate that the new airline would take at least 18 months to become fully functional.
Calling it the right time to launch new airline operations, Malik said the global aviation industry would be in a more comfortable position as more and more people get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
Fly Jinnah will initially be based in Karachi and serve a range of domestic routes across Pakistan before expanding its operations internationally.
Currently only three airlines — AirBlue, SereneAir and AirSial — are operating in the country’s private sector.