South Air to
expand operations to northern destinations of the country
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence on Wednesday
endorsed plans by emerging regional carrier South
Air to expand operations to northern destinations, rejecting concerns
raised by aviation authorities that the airline had been licensed primarily to
improve connectivity in underserved areas of southern Pakistan.
The issue was discussed during a committee meeting where
aviation officials and South Air management exchanged differing views over the
airline’s route strategy. Authorities argued that South Air had shifted its
focus from serving neglected southern regions to operating on more commercially
attractive routes.
South Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mohsin Jamil
told lawmakers that the airline was initially established with a
tourism-oriented model and currently operates two ATR-72 aircraft acquired
through wet-lease agreements from Italy and the Maldives. The airline also
plans to add an ATR-42 aircraft to its fleet.
Jamil said security-related restrictions imposed by the
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) prevent Italian flight crews from
operating in Balochistan, a province that has faced persistent security
challenges due to militant activity.
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As a result, one of the airline’s aircraft is being
deployed on northern routes connecting Islamabad, Gilgit and Chitral, while the
second aircraft continues to serve destinations in Balochistan, including
Karachi, Gwadar, Quetta, Turbat and Panjgur.
“We are looking to provide essential transportation
services to law enforcement agencies given the security situation in
Balochistan,” Jamil told the committee.
However, the explanation failed to convince Defence
Secretary Lt. Gen. (retd) Muhammad Ali, who argued that South Air had secured
expedited regulatory approvals by pledging to enhance connectivity in regions
traditionally overlooked by commercial airlines.
“As the name South in South Air suggests, they have made
us believe that they would operate in southern Pakistan, where other airlines
do not fly,” Ali told lawmakers. “Based on that commitment, we expedited their
approval procedures, but now they are backtracking.”
He emphasized the need for dependable regional air
services on remote routes such as Gwadar, Nawabshah, Panjgur and Sukkur, rather
than concentrating primarily on tourism-focused destinations.
Ali also suggested that the airline employ Pakistani
flight crews if foreign pilots were unwilling to operate on certain routes. In
response, Jamil said the Italian crew could not be replaced because the
wet-lease arrangement includes aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance as a
single package.
Despite the concerns raised by aviation authorities, the
committee ultimately supported South Air’s expansion plans. Senator Farooq H.
Naik argued that an airline’s name should not dictate the geographical scope of
its operations.
“American Airlines does not operate only in America and
Pakistan International Airlines does not operate solely within Pakistan.
Similarly, the name South Air does not restrict the airline to operating only
in the south,” Naik said.
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Committee Chairman Senator Talha Mahmood also endorsed
the proposal to launch flights to northern destinations, particularly Chitral,
which he noted has long suffered from limited air connectivity.
South Air reiterated that its long-term strategy remains
focused on improving access to underserved airports across the country.
“Our focus is to operate at under-served airports,”
Jamil said. “We want to operate in under-served areas of Pakistan.”
The airline expects to commence commercial flights to
Chitral and Skardu by the end of June, subject to final regulatory approvals.
South Air launched its first trial flight from Karachi to Gwadar in May.
Aviation officials, meanwhile, stressed that all mandatory safety and
regulatory requirements must be fulfilled before the airline begins commercial
operations, warning that safety standards should not be compromised.
Source:
Arab News