UAE-backed Fly Jinnah airline to start domestic operations in Pakistan from November

This image shows an illustration of Fly Jinnah aircraft. (Photo courtesy: Fly Jinnah Twitter)
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Updated 23 October 2022
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UAE-backed Fly Jinnah airline to start domestic operations in Pakistan from November

  • A joint venture between Pakistan’s Lakson Group and UAE’s Air Arabia, the new airline is Pakistan’s first low-cost air carrier
  • Starting Nov. 1, the airline will fly from Karachi to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta from Rs13,999 one way

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first low-cost air carrier is all set to begin domestic flight operations from next month, said its management in a social media post on Sunday, after securing Air Operator Certificate and Operating License earlier this month. 
Fly Jinnah, a joint venture between Pakistan’s Lakson Group and the United Arab Emirates-based Air Arabia, was launched in September last year to provide people low-cost air travel options on domestic and international routes. 
Soon after the announcement, Pakistan’s aviation experts said the country’s first budget airline was likely to take off in the next 18 months. 
“Starting 1st November, fly from Karachi to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta from just PKR 13,999 one way,” the airline announced on Twitter. “Enjoy more value at every mile with free inflight entertainment and 10kg hand baggage allowance.” 


Fly Jinnah has uniformly priced its one-way introductory airfare at Rs13,999 ($64) for its flights from Karachi to Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad. It also announced in another social media post that it would continue to expand and serve more destinations soon. 
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan met the chairman of Air Arabia, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al-Thani, last year and welcomed his decision to invest in the country. 
Al-Thani said his company was confident that Fly Jinnah would add value to Pakistan’s air transport sector and directly contribute to the local economy through job creation and development of travel and tourism sector. 
Fly Jinnah will join three other private airlines, AirBlue, SereneAir and AirSial, which are currently operating in the country. However, its management plans to serve a different niche which is expected to change the overall market dynamics in Pakistan’s air travel industry. 

 


Pakistan Navy seizes $3 million of narcotics in Arabian Sea under regional security patrol

Updated 07 December 2025
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Pakistan Navy seizes $3 million of narcotics in Arabian Sea under regional security patrol

  • Official statement says the haul was made during an anti-narcotics operation conducted by PNS Yamama
  • Seizure comes after a record haul of nearly $972 million was reported in the North Arabian Sea in October

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy said on Sunday a patrol vessel operating in the Arabian Sea had seized 1,500 kg of narcotics, the latest interdiction under a regional maritime security deployment aimed at curbing illicit activity along key shipping routes.

The operation took place under the Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP), a Pakistan-led initiative that deploys naval assets across the Arabian Sea and adjoining waters to deter smuggling, piracy and other non-traditional security threats.

The framework combines independent patrols with coordination involving regional and international partners.

“Pakistan Navy Ship Yamama, while deployed on Regional Maritime Security Patrol in the Arabian Sea, successfully conducted an anti-narcotics operation, leading to the seizure of 1,500 kilograms of hashish valued at approximately 3 million US dollars,” the Navy said.

The interdiction, it added, underscored the force’s “unwavering commitment to combating illicit activities and ensuring security in the maritime domain.”

Pakistan Navy said it routinely undertakes RMSP missions to safeguard national maritime interests through “robust vigilance and effective presence at sea,” and continues to play a proactive role in collaborative maritime-security efforts with other regional navies.

The seizure comes amid heightened counter-narcotics activity at sea.

In October, a Pakistani vessel seized a haul worth nearly $972 million in what authorities described as one of the largest drug seizures ever reported in the North Arabian Sea.

Last month, Pakistan Navy units operating under a Saudi Arabia-led multinational task force seized about 2,000 kg of methamphetamine, valued at roughly $130 million, highlighting the role of regional cooperation in disrupting trafficking networks.