New private airline waits in the wings to take off (the News) 11/23/03

By KARACHI correspondent :

Airblue, a new private airline is waiting in the wings to take off after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) granted it a licence on Saturday, said a source.

The airline with three new-generation aircraft has planned to fly between Karachi and other major cities of the country from early 2004. The airline offers business and economy classes and will be the first airline in private sector to have Pakistani pilots and engineering staff trained according to international standards.

The airline in this regard has already entered into agreements with Airbus. The company plans to provide world-class service to passengers on domestic flights by making use of latest information technology and introduce products and services that will be the first of their kind in Pakistan.

The Airblue, a public limited company, envisages an initial investment of over Rs500 million. It has put together a team of experienced aviation professionals. Tariq Chaudhry, a US-based information technology expert is the chief executive and chairman of the company who is assisted by Khaqan Abbasi, former chairman of PIA as aviation expert.

The domestic aviation industry in Pakistan is dominated by PIA with over 75 per cent of market share, the rest is held by two private airlines, Aero Asia and Shaheen Air.