UAE's Air Arabia to launch budget fly Jinnah airline in Pakistan

DUBAI: Middle Eastern budget carrier Air Arabia and Pakistan’s Lakson Group said on Friday they would launch a low-cost airline serving domestic and international routes from Pakistan.

The new carrier, Fly Jinnah, will operate as a joint venture between the pair, they said in a statement, adopting the low-cost model operated by Air Arabia.

The statement said the new airline would help Pakistan’s travel and tourism sector and contribute to the country’s economic growth and job creation.

Air Arabia operates from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, and has similar joint ventures in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Morocco and Armenia. Its shares are listed on the Dubai Financial Market.

The airline has been pushing ahead to expand in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak last year as low-cost carriers bet on a post-pandemic surge in travel.

Fly Jinnah will initially be based in Karachi serving a range of domestic routes across Pakistan and then will expand its route network internationally. The new carrier will follow the low-cost business model and provide its customer base with a reliable operation and value-driven product.

The carrier will "serve the strategic vision of Pakistan’s travel and tourism sector and contribute to the country’s economic growth and job creation, while providing Pakistanis with reliable and value for money air travel," said the companies in a statement.

"We are delighted at Air Arabia Group to partner with Lakson Group on this joint venture to launch Pakistan’s new low-cost carrier - we are confident that Fly Jinnah will add value to the air transport sector of Pakistan and directly contribute to the local economy through job creation and the development of travel and tourism sector," said Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia.

"We thank Lakson Group and the government of Pakistan for their trust and we look forward to working hand in hand to develop the new airline, which will serve as a new value-for-money air travel option for the country," said Al Thani.

Work on securing the Air Operating Certificate (AOC) - which allows the airline to start operating - will commence shortly, said the statement. More details about the launch date, fleet, and destination network will be announced in due course.

Aviation sources say the new airline is expected to take off early next year after securing all required regulatory approvals.

Fly Jinnah will be the latest entrant in Pakistan's growing aviation market after SereneAir and Air Sial. Alvir Airways also secured a licence to operate domestic flights in the country.

Pakistan International Airlines is the only listed carrier in the country, while airblue is the oldest active airline in the private sector.

Jet Green Airline and Q-Airlines are also in the process to secure an AOC certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan.