A new airline ‘North Air’ is set to launch in Pakistan after getting approval from Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to promote tourism in Pakistan.
The new private airline will initially operate flights between Islamabad-Gilgit, Islamabad-Skardu, Islamabad-Chitral and Islamabad-Gwadar.
The North Air, after it takes to the skies, will promote Pakistan as a global tourist destination.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently issued Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) license to the airline.
North Air founder and co-owner Raja Nazeem ul Ameen is a businessman who hails from Hunza valley of Gilgit-Baltistan.
“After acquiring the license, we are now in the process of complying with subsequent requirements by CAA which includes reviewing the planes, pilots, technical staff and training capacity,” the founder of the airline added.
“The process from licensing to operation takes a minimum of 90 days. We hope to begin flight operations as soon as possible” the airline co-owner said in an interview.
The new airline is expected to attract tourists to northern areas of Pakistan and the connectivity to Gilgit Baltistan (GB) will promote the economy and tourism industry of the area.
“We are optimistic the airline will help promote Pakistan as a global tourist destination. We want to improve connectivity and fill the gap of limited flight operations.” Ameen added.
When asked about the types of aircraft the company aims to acquire, the airline founder said that North Air hopes to begin operations initially with two Bombardier Q400 aircraft yet to be purchased. The airline will be the first in Pakistan to operate the Bombardier aircraft.