Air Karachi Engages Chinese Aircraft Maker COMAC, Eyes Launch of Flight Operations

Pakistan’s newest private airline, Air Karachi, has entered discussions with Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC to procure airliners as it prepares to launch commercial operations, the airline’s chairman Hanif Gohar confirmed on Friday.

The airline, backed by a consortium of prominent business figures from Karachi, is also in negotiations with global aerospace giants Boeing and Airbus. It aims to acquire at least three narrow-body passenger aircraft to commence domestic flights, with an eye toward expanding into international routes within a year.

“We are talking with COMAC regarding the C919, as well as with Boeing and Airbus, to acquire the aircraft,” Gohar told Arab News, referencing the Chinese-built jet designed to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families.

Air Karachi was officially launched in November 2024 with an initial capital of Rs5 billion ($17.6 million), pooled by 100 investors from the business community. The initiative is widely seen as a private-sector effort to fill the void left by the ailing national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which continues to struggle with financial and operational challenges. The government is currently attempting a second round of privatization for PIA.

Gohar said that the company expects to finalize a deal with one of the aircraft suppliers within the next month. “We will start our flight operations as soon as we reach an agreement with any of the suppliers, whoever comes first,” he added.

Air Karachi plans to begin with three aircraft servicing domestic routes. Within a year, the airline aims to expand its fleet to seven planes and begin international operations. Gohar emphasized that efficiency and financial autonomy would be key pillars of the new carrier, differentiating it from the bureaucratic legacy of PIA.

The airline received its Regular Public Transport (RPT) license from Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority in June, clearing a major regulatory hurdle.

Air Karachi follows in the footsteps of Air Sial, a successful private airline launched by industrialists from Sialkot, a city known for its export-driven economy, particularly in sporting goods and surgical instruments. Like Air Sial, Air Karachi has been designed as a business-led initiative to bring private capital, professionalism, and accountability to Pakistan’s aviation sector.

The airline’s entry comes at a time when Pakistan’s aviation industry is in flux, with demand for reliable domestic and regional connectivity rising and consumers increasingly turning to private carriers amid PIA’s ongoing turbulence.