Air Karachi seeks aircraft from Chinese airplane manufacturer COMAC

Dubai: One of Pakistan’s up-and-coming airlines, Air Karachi, has entered negotiations with China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation (also known as COMAC) for the acquisition of airplanes to support their upcoming operations.

The airline recently had its Regular Public Transport (RPT) licence approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) last month and is now ramping up efforts to commence flights soon.

 Here’s what the latest developments are.

 Next steps

 Hanif Gohar, chairman of the airline, outlined the company’s plans stating, “We are talking with COMAC regarding the 919, as well as with Boeing and Airbus, to acquire the aircraft,” he said, as reported by Arab news. “We will start our flight operations as soon as we reach an agreement with any of the suppliers, whoever comes first,” Gohar added.

 The C919 aircraft in particular has the ability to seat anywhere between 158 to 192 passengers, and has a range starting from 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. The plane was first introduced in 2015, with its first test flight occurring in 2017. Currently, this aircraft model is widely used in China, specifically within Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines.

 Air Karachi plans to begin their operations with domestic services and later expand its flights to international routes as well. According to CAA guidelines, the airline must complete at least one year of domestic operations before receiving permission for international destinations. However, for its initial phase, the company plans to start with three aircraft before escalating their aviation activity.

Essential background

Air Karachi was developed following the success of other local, private launches such as Air Sial, and has been modeled to follow similar operations. The airline was first announced in late 2024 by Karachi’s business community and had an initial investment of Rs 5 billion.

Private airlines in Pakistan are gaining momentum as the country’s national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines or PIA, faces ongoing financial trouble. In fact, the airline is currently undergoing a major privatization process, as the government seeks to sell a majority stake.