LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — The Punjab government has denied reports that Air Punjab, its planned first government-owned airline, has been scrapped, saying the project is still alive but has been slowed by the US war with Iran and the oil crisis.
Punjab Transport Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said the government has no plans to cancel the airline. It has a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, he said, and the process of leasing aircraft is under way, with six planes planned for the first phase.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved the project as a way to improve air links and offer cheaper travel. A review meeting she chaired picked Lahore to Islamabad as the first route, and the provincial government has started hiring senior managers, including a chief executive, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
High fuel prices have made it a difficult time to start an airline. Fuel costs remain high in Pakistan as the war keeps oil above $100 a barrel.
