LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — The Punjab government has handed operational control and maintenance of its Gulfstream G500 jet to the Pakistan Air Force after the province’s own flight wing found it could not run the aircraft alone, according to official documents.
The provincial cabinet has approved the transfer, along with a draft memorandum of understanding with the air force that sets out arrangements for maintenance, technical responsibilities, and financial matters.
The documents say the government’s VIP Flight Wing had technical difficulties operating and maintaining the jet because it lacked the capacity in-house. The aircraft’s advanced systems need specialised knowledge, trained staff, and modern facilities, which the air force has, they say.
The aircraft has been removed from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s register and given a PAF tail number. Three serving air force pilots have been deputed to the Punjab government and are flying the jet alongside the province’s own pilots.
The cabinet authorised an additional secretary in the Services and General Administration Department to sign the agreement for the province. The arrangement is meant to keep the jet safe to fly and available round the clock, the documents say.
A disputed purchase
The jet, configured for VIP travel, arrived in Lahore from North America in December 2025 and began flying locally in February. Its purchase drew criticism at the time, with reports putting its cost at about Rs10 billion.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said then that the aircraft was part of a fleet being built for Air Punjab, the provincial airline Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced in April 2025. Aviation experts questioned that, saying a VIP jet registered as a state aircraft could not be used for commercial flights.
In September, payment documents showed that Maryam Nawaz had paid Rs27.19 million into the provincial treasury to cover the cost of using the jet for a private trip to London, and her government said she had met the trip’s expenses herself.
