Qatar Airways announces new push into Pakistan

[Edevelop]

Qatar Airways has announced the launch dates of three new passenger routes in Pakistan as part of the airline’s continued expansion strategy.

Beginning July 16, the Doha-based airline will begin four weekly services to Sialkot where it already operates freighter services three times a week.

Sialkot marks Qatar Airways’ first new passenger route to Pakistan since 2004, it said in a statement.

A day later, Qatar Airways said it will add Faisalabad to its Pakistan network with three flights a week, and from August 1, Qatar Airways will launch three flights a week to Multan.

Qatar Airways currently operates 45 flights a week spread across four cities in Pakistan – double daily flights to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and three flights a week to Peshawar.

Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “We have had a well-established operation in Pakistan for many years, but have always been looking to expand more, and now thanks to new agreements in place between the relevant authorities, we will soon enjoy significantly greater capacity between Qatar and Pakistan.”

Qatar Airways said it will operate an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of up to 12 seats in Business Class and up to 132 in Economy Class on all the new routes to Pakistan.

Qatar Airways announces new push into Pakistan - Transport - ArabianBusiness.com

 

[Imran Khan]

good news for me i will travel to multan

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

This was also discussed in the thread about Multan airport.

final look of new multan airport

good news for me i will travel to multan

There are other airlines also flying to Multan. Why specifically you choose Qatar Airways ?

 

[Imran Khan]

This was also discussed in the thread about Multan airport.

final look of new multan airport



There are other airlines also flying to Multan. Why specifically you choose Qatar Airways ?

i did not trust pakistani airlines timing as per now only pakistan airlines are active there

 

[Donatello]

This should have been PIA's load....thanks to PIA they'll soon be giving up their local share to ME3 as well.
I mean, Qatar already has 45 flights a week into Pakistan, then these new ones coming up....3+3+4=10 so now they'll have 55 flights. Add Emirates with their 55 and all widebody...........man they must be printing money.

 

[Edevelop]

PIA is also starting flights from new Multan Airport

 

[WishLivePak]

This should have been PIA's load....thanks to PIA they'll soon be giving up their local share to ME3 as well.
I mean, Qatar already has 45 flights a week into Pakistan, then these new ones coming up....3+3+4=10 so now they'll have 55 flights. Add Emirates with their 55 and all widebody...........man they must be printing money.

We basically sold our airspace to these middle east carriers.

In canada, emirates is allowed 6 one way flights from entire country. If it was not that, air canada will be suffering. The other point is, air canada invests in its airports and it fears middle east carriers will not. We can see in Pakistan, nearly zero investment from middle east carriers. We're like their bus stops. They make so much money from us, but little do they help in improving airport.

These small airports were actually helping PIA, but now that middle east carriers will serve it, that means one stop in middle east and they can go to their onward destination instead of going to karachi/islamabad to pick connection.

Competition is good, but not when it's basically eating into national carrier. PIA is going to be limited now and basically compete with local carriers in Pakistan for domestic flights. Hell, even north american and european carriers no longer serve Pakistan due to foothold of ME carriers. Plus ME carriers make a lot of money with their duty free shopping.

PIA has very very little incentives for international flights. It faces delays, poor quality and now its smaller airports are going to be served by middle east carriers.