It is almost magical when one hops on a plane and lands in a matter of hours to experience a different culture, climate, language, sights and life. But, sadly, in Pakistan, where the majority struggle to put two square meals together in a safe shelter for their families, fortunate few can afford the feat.

The pandemic dealt a major blow to the aviation market, though it also reminded the world of the value of aviation for international mobility, trade and tourism and highlighted its contribution to generating jobs and growth. With the easing of travel restrictions, aviation is bouncing back.

The expected surge in demand has motivated aircraft manufacturers and service providers to ramp up investment to beat the competition by providing mobility solutions that match the needs of times and expectations of regular and business travellers.

The aviation scene in Pakistan may not be too inspiring currently, but the government is keen on reclaiming lost grounds by equipping itself better to meet standards and cater to the demands of local and overseas passenger and freight traffic. It has decided to market ‘destination Pakistan’ for global and local tourists and investors to generate impetus for growth with job creation.

The easing of travel restrictions has motivated aircraft manufacturers and service providers to ramp up investment

To this end, the aviation ministry claims to be making efforts to develop the private aviation sector in the country in tandem with the public sector. As a policy, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) actively supports private companies and individuals inclined to purchase and operate aircraft commercially or for private use.

Imran Aslam, the founder of Pakistan’s Aircraft Owners and Operators Association, confirmed to this scribe over the phone that the procedures and requirements are not cumbersome or time-consuming for interested firms and individuals who wish to import aircraft. “Once aircraft is purchased or leased, it can land in Pakistan within a month if you follow the CAA procedures,” he said.

Sharing basic information, CAA said it has 22 private jets registered. Of these, eight are registered in the names of individuals and 14 are owned/leased by companies, including charter operators. Passenger liners Pakistan International Airlines has 25, Airblue 10, Serene six and Airsial four jets.

It said: “Another airline Fly Jinnah with three aircrafts will start operations soon. In addition, five more companies have applied for Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) license.

“Aircraft sales and services (ASSL) has both Air Operator License (AOL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC), and it is operational. North Air, Alvir Airways and Kashmir Air have AOL and in the process of fulfilling AOC requirements. Air Pakistan Express Jet has applied for AOL.”

“The pandemic dented the aviation market in Pakistan like elsewhere, but now things are lurking back towards normalcy”. The government has pinned hopes on TPRI license holders. “When they start operations, we expect a major boost in tourism in Pakistan,” the statement of the CAA reads.

According to Imran Aslam, as many as 280 small piston engine or turboprop aircraft that are not business jet category are owned/leased by Pakistanis, including ones owned and operated by private flight academies. He said five to 10 private aircraft fly daily in Pakistan, mostly en route from Lahore to Karachi or Islamabad.

He said piston engine aircraft are the cheapest in the $0.1-1.5 million range. The turboprop costs $1.8-5.5m, whereas business jets go up to $60m. The monthly average operation cost of piston engine aircraft can be between Rs300,000-500,000. For turboprop, it hikes between Rs1.5-2.5m, which includes maintenance and parking cost. For business jets, it soars to Rs10-15m per month.

Talking about the most sought-after business and passenger jets, CAA shared details. “In the business jets category, we have five Bombardiers, three each of Learjet and Hawker Beechcraft, two each of Textron, Gulfstream and Raytheon and Cessna, one Viking, Reims and Beech. We have 28 Airbus, 14 Boeing and three ATR aircraft in passenger jets.

Responding to questions regarding private airfields, the CAA said there are no private airfields in Pakistan though there are 19 unregulated but certified airstrips and four unlicensed strips. Among 19, Sialkot International Airport and Mai Bakhtawar can be termed airports. Mostly these strips are in far-flung areas used by oil and gas exploration companies.”

The CAA and the private operators did not agree to share the names of private owners of jets and smaller aircraft. “I am not sure if the law allows us to make names of private owners of planes public. Sorry but you will have to wait till our higher-ups clarify the confusion,” a source in CAA said when approached.

“They are mostly businessmen but also some high-net-worth professionals. Yes, I personally know them, but for obvious reasons, they prefer to lie low and would not like the spotlight,” a source said. “Please don’t press. At stake is my relationship with influential friends.”

Minister Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique and some other relevant leaders were approached for comments, but their response did not arrive till the filing of the report.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 24th, 2022