Air Karachi: Pakistan’s new airline plans to begin operations soon

F.P. Report

KARACHI: A new private airline headquartered in Karachi has received its Regular Public Transport (RPT) license from Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a key stakeholder confirmed on Monday. The airline, named Air Karachi, aims to begin operations in the near future.

Backed by prominent business figures from the port city, Air Karachi draws inspiration from the success of Air Sial, an airline launched by Sialkot-based industrialists. The initiative comes amid the ongoing struggles of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and seeks to establish a financially independent, efficiently run, business-backed carrier.

“Yes, we’ve received the license from the CAA,” confirmed shareholder Hanif Gohar in an interview. “We are currently in the process of acquiring aircraft and plan to start operations with three planes.”

The RPT license was officially issued on June 5, according to Gohar.

A copy of the CAA’s approval letter indicates that the airline is required to pay a license issuance fee of Rs500,000 ($1,750) and submit a security deposit of Rs100 million ($350,000). Additionally, it must increase its paid-up capital to Rs600 million ($2.1 million) before launching operations, in accordance with the National Aviation Policy 2023.

Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Air Karachi plans to raise Rs5 billion ($17.5 million) through contributions of Rs50 million ($175,000) from each of its 100 shareholders. Gohar noted that the response from Karachi’s business community has been overwhelmingly positive, with some families offering to invest as multiple shareholders.

The airline’s leadership includes aviation veteran Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Imran Qadir, who has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. He is supported by a team of retired officers from the Pakistan Air Force.

Air Karachi intends to begin with domestic operations, initially using three aircraft, with plans to expand the fleet to seven. After fulfilling the mandatory one-year domestic service requirement, the airline aims to launch international flights, focusing first on destinations in the Middle East.