Shaukat Launches new Airline 'Airblue'(Pakistan Observer- May 21, 2004 )
Sharafat Kazmi

Islamabad - Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that Pakistan was expected to achieve GFP growth rate of over 6 per cent for the current financial ear against the target of 5.3 percent.

Address the inauguration ceremony of 'Airblue' a new domestic airline here on Thursday, Aziz said in the next three years the rate of GDP growth is expected to reach at 8 per cent as a result of continued structural reforms and macro economic policies.

Aziz said that due to the investment of private sector there would be a lot of jobs, which really help to reduce the unemployment from the country. The government is fully committed to provide a conducive atmosphere to investors, provide security to their investment and help them to enhance their business, Aziz said.

The Minister said airline business could be expanded throughout the world.

Aziz said that Airblue can earn a lot of profit through promoting tourism in the country.

He hoped the management of Airblue would not give VIP treatment to anybody; its services would be transparent and equal for all customers.

Addressing on the occasion Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chief Operation Officer of Airblue said that Pakistan's newest domestic airline Airblue introduced the latest and innovate web-based e-technology in the country.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Airblue is a superior quality domestic airline of Pakistan. It is a public limited company, soon to be on the Karachi Stock Exchange. With Rs 6.0 billion infrastructure infusion in the aviation industry, the airline is the first to introduce-commerce in the Indo-Pak history.