Foreign airlines ‘keen to launch operations from Pakistan’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Privatisation and Aviation Mohammed Mian Soomro has said that six to eight foreign airlines are interested in launching their operations from Pakistan.

Talking to the media, he said that Air France, Norwegian Air and a Saudi Airline were among those carriers which intended to begin their operation in Pakistan.

Soomro said that because of providing ease of doing business, foreign airlines wanted to start operations in Pakistan and talks were continuing with them.

The minister said that the new aviation policy had been sent to the federal cabinet for its approval.

“The new policy aims at sustainable growth in the aviation sector by rationalising charges levied on operators by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and by offering them more incentives to ensure healthy competition for providing more relief to passengers,” he added.

The minister said that in the new policy the rationalisation of different financial charges to airlines would atract investors to start domestic airlines in Pakistan. This would significantly contribute to the country’s economic growth.

According to an official statement, the CAA’S one-employee-one-tree plantation campaign is continuing at all airports in line with the clean and green Pakistan programme of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Only at Karachi airport, 100,000 saplings of various indigenous species and fruits would be planted during the current year.

Senior CAA officials, including deputy directors general Khawar Ghayas and Air Commodore Syed Nasir Raza Hamdani and Airport Manager Zafar Aitemad were also present on the occasion.

Restrictions over large swathes of Pakistani airspace continued to affect numerous flight routes, officials said on Tuesday, weeks ater clashes between Pakistan and India brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war.

The continued constraints come weeks ater Pakistani authorities said they had fully reopened the country’s airspace ater it was closed for days following clashes and aerial dogfights between the two countries late last month.