KARACHI: A Karachi-based aviation company launching what it calls Pakistan’s first ever aerial ride-hailing service, or air taxi, has generated business interest from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirate-based firms, a company official said on Saturday, adding they are planning to launch a booking app next week.

The online service, to be launched by the Karachi-based Sky Wings Aviation in collaboration with Thailand-based Wind Speed International, is aimed at connecting multiple airports of the South Asian country and boosting business and tourism.

Sky Wings Aviation already operates chartered flights, ambulance services and pilot training programs under licenses from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The online service will be part of charter flight operations governed by country’s aviation rules, requiring the details of passengers on board, nationality, address and contact numbers, purpose of travel, and aircraft specification among other details.

Imran Aslam Khan, Sky Wings Aviation’s chief operating officer (COO), says the company has received response from the Middle Eastern companies and they are asking for business model details.

“We got a response from some companies in Dubai and some companies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who are interested in knowing what is the business model,” Khan told Arab News as the company unveiled its Austrian-made aircraft with German Jet A1 Fuel Engine in Karachi. 

“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 said in the Middle East a lot of business jets were available and there were a lot of people who could afford them and many people could afford the same thing if it was offered at a low cost. 

“So it is a sort of low-cost model in which smaller aircraft are being used,” he said. “We have promised the people that we are going to share everything.” 

Apart from this, the company official said they had received representation of two global aviation companies in Pakistan, of which one was for Pakistan and the other for the whole of Asia, including India. 

“That is a big achievement for Pakistan and for us. Anything Indians would need to get they will get through us,” Khan told reporters in Karachi, but declined to name the aviation companies. 

About the launch of the booking app, Khan said the beta version of it would be launched on June 18 that would be “first of its kind ride-hailing app the world over,” while a full version of the app would be launched within the next three months in Pakistan and within eight months internationally. 

The service will allow people to reserve rides using a specifically designed web application similar to Uber and Careem ride-hailing apps, according to the COO. 

The company initially plans to launch the service from Karachi to other parts of the southern Sindh province, the neighboring Balochistan province and parts of Punjab. Officials say a fleet of around 11 small aircraft is ready for the operation. 

The fleet comprises Seneca and Cessna aircraft as well as the Austrian-made aircraft with German Jet A1 Fuel Engine, which has three passenger seats and can fly at a speed of about 300 kilometers per hour. 

Responding to a question about fares, Khan said they would vary depending upon the aircraft. 

“I am going to operate these aircraft from $100 one way to $350-400 an hour and it is like never heard of before,” he said. “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.” 

Out of 29 airports in Pakistan, around eight are fully operational and there are a lot of people who want to travel to those particular places, according to Sky Wing officials. The air taxi service will not only provide connectivity, but also generate socio-economic activities and tourism.