The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has issued a regular passenger transport (RPT) licence to Air Karachi. The licence permits the would-be airline to continue developing plans to launch and is a precursor to obtaining an air operator's certificate (AOC), necessary to begin commercial flight operations.
The PCAA issued the licence after Air Karachi's promoters satisfied several criteria, including meeting minimum capital requirements, explaining the ownership and control structure, aircraft fleet specifications, safety systems, qualifications of key personnel, and environmental compliance.
Pakistani newspapers report that Air Karachi is on track to start domestic flights "in the near future, with plans to expand to international routes." However, the would-be airline still needs to secure aircraft and an AOC.
As previously reported by ch-aviation, the planned airline is a joint venture involving Karachi-based business leaders and corporate investors led by Atif Ikram Sheikh, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
The parties have committed PKR5 billion rupees (USD17.7 million) in start-up funding and say they initially want to lease three aircraft. They are basing their business model on AirSial (PF, Karachi International), a successful Sialkot-focused carrier owned by local business figures that began flying in 2020 and has since expanded into international operations.
