Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Saturday said the provincial government had approved the launch of its own airline named Air Punjab and that it would begin its operations within a year.
The Punjab government had floated the idea of Air Punjab in November 2024 after the federal government’s failed attempt to sell the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Bokhari said: “Pakistan is ready to operate its first provincial airline, Air Punjab.
“The approval for it was given by [Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz] sahiba in a meeting a few days ago,” she added.
“This service would begin in a minimum of eight months and at the most, a year.”
Sharing further details, the information minister said four aircraft will be acquired on lease immediately for Air Punjab.
Noting that airlines in Pakistan were required to operate domestically for a year before initiating international routes, Bokhari said Air Punjab would be “ready to provide its services in a few months”.
The Punjab chief minister has ordered the completion of the formalities of licensing and leasing, according to Bokhari.
“No one had even thought of launching their own provincial airline,” she added.
Bokhari noted she wanted to share two “major good” developments about Punjab with the public for many days but the recent situation in the wake of the Pahalgam attack had delayed it.
Announcing the second plan, she said, “Pakistan’s first bullet train, which will operate from Lahore to Rawalpindi, will take the [travellers there] in two hours and 20 minutes.”
The minister added that CM Maryam had accorded approval for the bullet train as well.
The Punjab government would collaborate with the Pakistan Railways for the bullet train, Bokhari elaborated.
“Chief minister sahiba has also sought a plan for a high-speed train for six other routes in Punjab, including Lahore to Shahdara and Narowal; Lahore to Raiwind and Kasur; Pakpattan to Lodhran; Sheikhupura to Shorkot; Shorkot to Sargodha via Jhang; and Lala Musa to Sargodha via Malakwal,” she explained.
“The Railway department would be completely revamped in Punjab.”
Pakistan had been looking to offload a 51-100 per cent stake in debt-ridden PIA to raise funds and reform state-owned enterprises but a sole bid of Rs10 billion for a 60pc stake — much below the government-set minimum price of Rs85bn — stalled the privatisation process.
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Subsequently, on Nov 1, 2024, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government ruled by the opposition PTI said it was ready to purchase the loss-making national flag carrier.
A day later, former prime minister and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif stated his daughter, CM Maryam, had sought his counsel on whether the Punjab government should acquire the PIA or establish a new airline.
Nawaz had suggested the airline could also be purchased and rebranded by the provincial government as Air Punjab.
However, the Punjab government had immediately clarified that it had “no intentions” of being party to the highly publicised bidding process to acquire the PIA.
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