Passengers from small cities like Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Peshawar, Gwadar, and others will soon benefit from better air travel facilities, as announced by Nadir Shafi Dar, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The initiative will facilitate passengers who presently have to rely on buses, trains, and automobiles for lengthy trips from the country’s north to south.
Nadir Shafi Dar, the Director General of the CAA, spoke on Monday during a press conference on a number of issues pertaining to Pakistan’s aviation industry. Following the recent separation of the CAA into two departments, it was his first official press briefing.
Dar announced that airports in smaller cities, including Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, and more remote regions like Gwadar, Gilgit, and Skardu, would soon offer regular air services.
An established airline has already applied for permission to use smaller aircrafts on these routes, intending to start flights by the beginning of 2025 with a maximum of 40 to 50 passengers.
At least three small aircraft will be initially deployed by the airline, and services are anticipated to start in the second quarter of 2025.
The DG went on to say that he was hopeful that other airlines will take a similar stance, increasing air connectivity for major and secondary airports nationwide.