Pakistan’s new low-cost airline Fly Jinnah starts operations
With first
commercial flight to Islamabad from Karachi, Pakistan’s new low-cost airline,
Fly Jinnah, has formally begun its flight operations.
The
aircraft was welcomed at Islamabad International Airport with a traditional
water cannon salute. The inaugural flight was flown on October 31 and the
operations officially started on November 1. The airline has received its air
operator certificate and licence from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
(PCAA).
In a statement, the airline said, “We
are excited to begin operations across five destinations in Pakistan”. The
flight destinations include four domestic routes connecting Karachi to
Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta, with fares starting from PKR14,000
($63) one way. Fly Jinnah will initially serve domestic routes out of its base
in Karachi before expanding internationally.
The new entrant Fly Jinnah is
starting its operations with a fleet of three Airbus A320-200 aircraft that are
equipped with “SkyTime”, a free in-flight streaming service.
Fly Jinnah
is a joint venture between Pakistan’s business conglomerate Lakson Group and
UAE-based low-cost carrier (LCC) operator Air Arabia Group, announced in
September 2021. Air Arabia will be a minority stakeholder in Fly Jinnah while
the controlling stakeholder is Lakson Group.
“We are confident that Fly Jinnah
will offer its customers a convenient air travel option backed up with a
value-driven product and services,” the airline chairman Iqbal Ali Lakhani said
at the inaugural ceremony. He said that the airline looks forward to catering
to the needs of the Pakistani market and contributing to the growth of the
travel and tourism sector of Pakistan”.
Adel Al Ali, the group chief
executive officer of Air Arabia, said: “Today marks a special occasion as Fly
Jinnah takes off to the skies. This step reflects the carrier’s strategic
commitment to offer reliable and value-for-money air travel to its customer
base in Pakistan.” Fly Jinnah follows Air Arabia’s successful low-cost business
model operating short to medium haul flights focusing on its customer base with
a reliable operation and value-driven product.
Fly Jinnah joins a small number of
Pakistani airlines - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), AirBlue, Serene
Air, and AirSial.
Source: Gulf
News