South Air joins hands with Quaid-i-Azam University to expand academic
and industry collaboration
Pakistani regional airline South Air has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quaid-i-Azam
University (QAU), Islamabad, aimed at strengthening
cooperation between the aviation industry and the academic
community.
The agreement is expected to
create new opportunities for students and faculty while
providing a platform for greater interaction between the
university and the emerging domestic airline.
South Air announced the MoU
as part of its efforts to develop partnerships with
educational institutions and broaden engagement with the wider
university community. The airline said the collaboration would open
new avenues for students, faculty members and other stakeholders,
although specific programmes or initiatives under the agreement
were not detailed in the announcement.
Growing role of South Air
The agreement comes as South Air expands its presence in Pakistan's domestic aviation market. Founded in 2025, the privately operated airline describes itself as a regional carrier focused on connecting smaller and underserved cities with major population and economic centres.
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South Air received its Air Operator Certificate from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority on June 29, 2026, and began scheduled domestic operations in July. Its initial services included routes from Karachi to Quetta via Turbat and Karachi to Islamabad via Bahawalpur.
The airline has said its broader network strategy is focused on improving connectivity to regional destinations across Pakistan. Its published route map includes cities such as Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Turbat and Gwadar.
South Air's partnership with QAU could provide a channel for greater interaction between the airline and students pursuing studies relevant to aviation, business, economics, management, technology and other disciplines. The precise scope of internships, research projects, training programmes or other activities under the MoU was not specified in the announcement.
QAU's academic and research profile
Established in 1967, Quaid-i-Azam University is a federal public-sector research university in Islamabad. The university initially focused on postgraduate teaching and research before expanding into master's, graduate and undergraduate programmes.
QAU currently comprises faculties and institutes covering areas including biological sciences, natural sciences, social sciences and medicine, as well as a range of specialised research centres and schools. The university says its academic programmes have an enrollment of more than 11,000 students.
The university has also pursued partnerships with educational and research institutions in Pakistan and abroad, making industry collaboration an additional avenue for connecting academic work with practical professional opportunities.
For South Air, the MoU provides an opportunity to establish closer links with one of Pakistan's major public research universities as the airline develops its operations and workforce. For QAU students and faculty, the partnership could provide avenues for engagement with the country's expanding domestic aviation sector, subject to the programmes and activities eventually agreed by the two institutions.
Source: South Air