Travel and Tourism Industry Growth in Pakistan

Pakistan's travel and tourism industry is booming with significant improvement in security situation. In 2015, it contributed 7% of Pakistan's GDP.  It includes foreign and domestic travel and tourism spending or employment in the equivalent economy-wide concept in the published national income accounts or labour market statistics.

There are are multiple indicators showing this industry will contribute more this year. Growth in air travel and hotel occupancy are among the top indicators of travel and travel and tourism industry growth.

Pakistan Hotel Occupancy Source: Express Tribune

Hotel Occupancy:

“The rate of hotel occupancy has surged to 80% across the country compared to 35% before the current calendar year started,” said Beach Luxury Hotel Director Business Development Rehan Wahid, according to report in the Express Tribune newspaper. “Hotels in Islamabad and Lahore are fully booked most of the days. However, this is yet to happen in Karachi,” he said.

Thanks to the ramp-up of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor  (CPEC) related projects, Gwadar is leading the way for new hotel construction with permits issued for least 5 new 5-star hotels so far in the new port city.   These include a 250-room hotel apartment project of the management of Pearl Continental Hotels and another one of the Bahria Group. Gwadar Airport growth of 73% was the fastest of all airports in Pakistan.

Air Travel: 

Pakistan air travel market is among the fastest growing in the world.  IATA (International Air Transport Association) forecasts Pakistan domestic air travel will grow at least 9.5% per year, more than 2X faster than the world average annual growth rate of 4.1% over the next 20 years. The Indian and Brazilian domestic markets will grow at 6.9% and 5.4% respectively.

Pakistan saw 23% growth in airline passengers in 2015, according to Anna Aero publication. Several new airports began operations or expanded and each saw double digit growth in passengers. However,  Gwadar Airport growth of 73% was the fastest of all airports in Pakistan.

The top 12 airports all saw large double digit increases. Multan  grew 64%, Quetta 62% and Faisalabad +61% all climbing one place as a result of all of them seeing a growth of over 60%. Turbat Airport in Balochistan is the newest airport to reach the top 12 in terms of traffic.

Security Situation: 

The key reason for travel and tourism boom is significant improvement in the security situation since the launch of Pakistan Army anti-terror campaign called Zarb-e-Azb. Civilian deaths have been cut from 2,378 in 2011 to 412 this year until August 14, 2016. Total number of deaths, including civilians and security personnel, have been reduced from 11,704 in 2009 to 1232 so far in 2016, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP.org)
Terrorism-Related Deaths in Pakistan Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal


Summary:

Hotel occupancy rates have risen from just 35% in 2015 to 80% this year. Air travel is growing rapidly with IATA forecasting Pakistan to be among the world's fastest growing air travel markets. All airports in the country, including several new ones, are seeing double digit increases in the number of passengers flying in and out of them. Improved security since the start of Operation Zarb e Azb and political stability are underpinning growing confidence in Pakistan.

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Comments

Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan’s new private air carrier Serene Air to start flying domestic routes by year-end

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1201285/domestic-operations-new-air-carrier-start-flying-year-end/

Serene Air has been granted a licence by the air travel authority to establish a private airline in Pakistan, said sources in the aviation industry.

The airline would begin operations on domestic routes by November or December 2016, as per its plan submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), stated a source, who remained involved in the developments.

PIA to lease 8 planes to upgrade fleet

“The authority granted Serene Air a licence in March 2016 to establish the airline with headquarters in Pakistan, however, the company has not yet been granted the Air Operator Certificate that will allow it to fly,” he said.

“The grant of the certificate is linked with the acquisition of aircraft mentioned in the business plan.”

He said airline officials were expected to fly to the United States to acquire five Boeing 737-800s, which would be bought with the approval of CAA officials. “The 737-800 is the latest aircraft of Boeing company.”

As per rules, the company is required to have at least three aircraft to establish an airline.

Serene Air will fly on almost all domestic routes, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan. CAA rules say the airline can apply for an international licence if it successfully operates on domestic routes for over a year.

At present, there are three airlines that are already flying on domestic routes, of which one is state-owned – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The remaining two – Airblue and Shaheen Air – belong to the private sector.

Passengers ‘damage’ PIA Premier aircraft

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Standing Committee on Aviation Chairman Muhammad Yahya Polani said Pakistan’s aviation industry had a huge potential.

“Pakistan should launch more airlines on domestic routes as the availability of more air carriers will spark true competition and benefit passengers with lower fares and improved service quality,” he said.

“All the three airlines operating on the domestic routes have less than 100 aircraft combined, which are below the required number to serve the nation with an estimated population of 220 million,” said Polani.

“The Turkish Airline has more than 300 aircraft for a population of 75 million. It covers over 1,500 destinations every day and what’s more is that its private sector airlines have even greater number of aircraft.”

Similar is the case with the United States’ United Airlines. It has over 1,000 aircraft that fly to 6,700 destinations every day while the United Arab Emirates airline flies to over 1,300 destinations every day and has a very limited population.
Riaz Haq said…
#Chinese consortium to launch new #airline in #Pakistan. #China #FDI #CPEC #PIA

http://nation.com.pk/national/05-Nov-2016/chinese-consortium-to-launch-new-airline-in-pakistan

Praising the country’s economy as capable of absorbing and capitalising the direct foreign investment, the Chinese investors have expressed their interest in launching a new airline in Pakistan for which they would be discussing modalities with the Government of Pakistan.

-----

The delegation apprised the Prime Minister that they are bringing $3 billion Investment Fund to Pakistan because of the vision of the Prime Minister that focus on infrastructure development and energy sectors.

The Chinese delegation also expressed its intent to explore possibility of starting a new airline in Pakistan after the permission from the Government of Pakistan. The Chinese side said that it is actively pursuing its investments in infrastructure, power, aviation and tourism sectors of Pakistan.

“We fully appreciate the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif which enunciates that economic prosperity is an offshoot of infrastructure connectivity and self-sufficiency in the energy sector,” the members of the delegation stated.
Riaz Haq said…
#Hyatt Announces Plans for 4 New Hotels in #Pakistan. #CPEC #Tourism #Karachi #Lahore #Islamabad #Rawalpindi
http://www.newschannel10.com/story/33688357/hyatt-announces-entry-into-pakistan-with-plans-for-four-hyatt-branded-hotels

Expansion of Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency brands in Pakistan in co-operation with Bahria Town key to enhancing worldwide customer preference

CHICAGO --(BUSINESS WIRE)
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today plans to expand its Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency brands in Pakistan with the signing of management agreements by a Hyatt affiliate for four Hyatt-branded hotels: Grand Hyatt Islamabad, Hyatt Regency Karachi, Hyatt Regency Lahore, and Hyatt Regency Rawalpindi. Bahria Town, one of the largest private developers in Asia, will own the four Hyatt-branded hotels.

“We look forward to collaborating with the Bahria team to open the first Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency hotels in Pakistan,” said Peter Norman, senior vice president, acquisitions and development – Europe, Africa, and Middle East (EAME) and Southwest Asia for Hyatt. “Following last year’s announcement for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), we are optimistic about the growth of Hyatt’s brands in Pakistan. The opening of these hotels will serve as a testament to the global appeal of the Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency brands as they continue to expand worldwide and offer more choices to our guests.”

With the announcement a Grand Hyatt and three Hyatt Regency hotels in Pakistan, Hyatt is taking another step in growing its brand footprint in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. The EAME/Southwest Asia region is a significant growth opportunity for Hyatt as the segment accounts for approximately 25 percent of the company’s executed contract rooms base. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had approximately 60 Hyatt-branded hotels under development in EAME/Southwest Asia.

Grand Hyatt Islamabad will be meticulously designed to exemplify the Grand Hyatt brand’s signature level of grandeur with an abundance of options for creating spectacular experiences. Expected to open in 2023, the hotel will offer 400 guestrooms, seven food and beverage outlets, two ballrooms, seven meeting rooms, a spa, fitness facilities, private club, and kids club. Additionally, the hotel will be the first internationally-branded golf resort in Pakistan and will have a state-of-the-art golf club house. The hotel and golf club will be easily accessible from the Murree-Islamabad Expressway, which connects directly to Islamabad's city center and diplomatic area 30 minutes away.

Hyatt Regency Karachi will offer a range of amenities, as well as spaces that will make the hotel a go-to gathering place for any occasion. The hotel will feature approximately 200 guestrooms, a lobby lounge, three-meal restaurant, and more than 17,000 square feet (1,600 square meters) of flexible meeting and event space. The hotel is expected to open in 2023.

Hyatt Regency Lahore will deliver on the modern expectations of today’s travelers and meeting planners.The hotel will feature authentic food and beverage offerings that will build off the Hyatt Regency brand’s history of culinary excellence. The hotel will serve as the perfect venue for a variety of events such as weddings, social banquets, exhibitions, meetings, and conferences. Additionally, the hotel will feature a private club offering food and beverage outlets, tennis courts and banquet facilities, among other amenities. The hotel is expected to open in 2021.

Hyatt Regency Rawalpindi will be designed to connect today’s travelers to who and what matters most to them. The 165-room hotel will offer multiple food and beverage outlets and more than 11,000 square feet (1,100 square meters) of flexible meeting and event space. The hotel is expected to open in 2022.
Riaz Haq said…
New Islamabad Airport will further promote the progressive image of Pakistan: PM

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1224889/briefed-pm-reviews-progress-projects/


ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the new Islamabad Airport will be an icon of excellence and will further promote the progressive image of Pakistan.

The prime minister expressed these views while chairing a meeting on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and aviation affairs at the PM House.

He reviewed the progress on the new airport and was apprised that all construction packages of the new airport are on track. He directed to complete the link road project from Rawalpindi to New Islamabad Airport by March 2017.

New Islamabad airport gets another deadline

The National Highway Authority was also directed to monitor the quality of work on the link road project according to the required standards. The overall performance of the national carrier during the last six months was also reviewed, while the PIA chairman gave a presentation to participants of the meeting and informed that significant increase in revenue has been registered.

Riaz Haq said…
RENOWNED NAME IN HOTEL INDUSTRY OPENS NEW LOCATION IN DEFENCE, KARACHI
http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/industries-a-sectors/327559-renowned-name-in-hotel-industry-opens-new-location-in-defence-karachi.html

A renowned name in the hotel industry- the Ramada chain, opened their new location in Defence, Karachi.

The chain has over 800 hotels across 63 countries, says a statement here on Friday.

It said that at a ceremony held recently at the hotel itself, Yasin H. Kassam C.E.O and Managing Director of Pakistan Beverage Ltd. and Iftikhar Qureshi, CEO of Ramada Creek Hotel, signed an agreement for the supply of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages to the guests of the hotel.

Speaking at the occasion Ramada Creek Hotel CEO, Iftikhar Qureshi commented: `It is United International Group's vision to redefine hospitality in Pakistan and to provide travelers and guests with the best options available to make their stay comfortable and relaxing which is why signing with Pakistan Beverage Ltd. was the next natural step'.

Qureshi also expressed interest in opening up more 5 star hotels in the country to truly contribute towards the economy.
Riaz Haq said…
PAKISTAN’S TOURISM INDUSTRY GRADUALLY RECOVERING
http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/industries-a-sectors/328271-pakistans-tourism-industry-gradually-recovering.html

With 2016 already a record year for the tourism sector in Pakistan at the local level, tourism was gradually recovering from the dark era of post September 11, 2001.

The country hopes to once again attract international tourists who had deserted it for the past 15 years, according to an articled published in "Asialyst" a Paris-based Website.

As Pakistan was one of the countries most affected by terrorism, since last year foreign travellers have been returning little by little.

In Karimabad, a small village overlooking the Hunza Valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan province of northern Pakistan, Lal Hussain, 65, looked out at the view of the river and the snow-capped peaks of the Karakoram.

It was the season when the apricot trees were in bloom and the water from the melting of the glaciers irrigated the valley.

With his son and nephews, Lal Hussain runs the Hunza Inn, one of the oldest hostels in Karimabad, established in 1980. "It's not like before," he sighed.

In the past fifteen years, Lal Hussain has lost 80% of his turnover. "Because of the foreign media, tourists have a biased image of Pakistan and are afraid to visit the region," he said.

Seated around the large common table of the Hunza Inn, however, were some Chinese tourists who had ventured into the Pakistani mountains, and Fabrizio, an Italian from Rome.

After travelling extensively in India, Fabrizio was discovering the country for the first time. "It's true that my family was afraid when I told them I was leaving for Pakistan," he said. "But in reality, we don't feel any danger here at all, there is no problem."

He said he intended to hike, relax and visit the region.

Fabrizio was the only European in the village.

Twenty years ago, Karimabad was the gateway for all foreign backpackers and trekkers, said Lal Hussain. "In summer, the high season, we even had to refuse people," he added.

Gilgit-Baltistan region is a paradise for mountaineers.

Located at the junction of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges, between India, China and Afghanistan, it is home to five out of fourteen mountain peaks in the world that are over 8,000 metres high, including the mythical K2.

The hippie trail and the golden age of tourism in Pakistan Lal Hussain's story is one of a flourishing industry that collapsed. Now, it is gradually reviving.

In 2015, Pakistan attracted 5,634 foreign tourists. According to the biennial report of the World Economic Forum, Pakistan ranks 125th in the world in terms of foreign tourists.

From Sindh, with its sandy beaches, to Punjab and its palaces, from the old city of Lahore to the heights of the Himalayas, not to mention the Cholistan desert, the "Country of the Pure" possesses all the trump cards it needs to attract travellers from all over the world, the articled noted.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan can become a well known destination for leisure tourism
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/11/13/city/pakistan-can-become-a-well-known-destination-for-leisure-tourism/

Clifton Beach is the most popular beach among domestic tourists and most of the locals are not even aware of any beach other than Clifton beach.

Talking to APP, Managing Director Abdul Ghafoor said Clifton Beach is very close to Karachi city and famous for camel and buggy ridings and for family picnics, yet there were other beautiful beaches in the country that tourists ought to know of.

Hawke’s Bay is less crowded with clearer water –leisure seekers and holiday makers may rent a hut to spend a weekend there.

Sandspit Beach is good for swimming and sun bathing -the water there flows through an unusual rocky formation.

French Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches around Karachi -with clearer water and fresh air- is a rocky beach, he said.

Paradise Point beach is good for family picnics and camel or horse riding – there is a natural rock formation that looks like a carved archway, which is an amazing point to enjoy the sea view.

Devil’s Point beach is a good point to have some silent and peaceful time away from the city hustle and bustle.

Kund Malir Beach, a desert beach is a nice drive on Coastal Highway to Balochistan – the area belongs to Hingol Park, and is situated just 145 km from zero point.

Gadani Beach is one of the beautiful beaches of Pakistan it is commonly known a harbor for ship breaking.

Gwadar Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches of Balochistan with most clearer and in emerald color waters located in Arabian Sea he said.

Pasni Beach is commonly famous for its fishing harbor – one can have a good camping experience there.

West Bay Beach is located in Gwadar – the beach is going to be developed for future leisure tourism, added Abdul Ghafoor.
Riaz Haq said…
#CPEC #Fiberinternet Cable Connecting #Pakistan & #China Will Be Completed In 2017. #fiber http://pakchinanews.pk/cpec-fiber-optic-connecting-pakistan-china-will-be-completed-in-2017/ …

The project designed to connect Pakistan with China via high speed fiber optic cable is anticipated to be finalized by next year. It will complete one year ahead of the actual time.

The first part of $44 million project started this year under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project. Work on eight divisions of 100-125 kilometers length has already started. By engaging special tools, human resource and services the venture is expected to be completed by next year.

While talking to The Nation, Director Pakistan-China Optical Fiber Cable project Colonel Waseem Ahmed, revealed that 820 kilometer fiber optic cable will be placed from Khunjerab to Rawalpindi. And in second phase the cable will be laid from Rawalpindi to Gwadar and Karachi.

Special Communications Organization (SCO) an affiliated department of Pakistan Army was given the job to offer telecom services in the mountainous area after T&T botched to provide telecom facilities in hard geographic localities of AJK and GB. In fiber optic project also the organization will have to contest against life-threatening weather and other tasks.

As per the project cable will be put down from hilly areas of Khunjerab to Karimabad, Naran, Masnsehra, Abbottabad, Taxila, and Rawalpindi, one of the hard lands of the country.

Ahmed further added that weather, physical conditions and extreme low temperatures are the major obstacles of the first phase of the project. He said that due to extreme weather at Babusar top and some areas in Chillas and Sost, his organization has employed specified tools.

Once finished, this back-haul fiber optic cable will offer Pakistan with a direct telecom access to China, Central Asian States and from there to Europe and to and from the United States.

At present, Pakistan is connected with the world via four undersea fiber optic cables, whereas other five are in progress and will be working in the upcoming years.

Riaz Haq said…
World's Biggest Long-Haul Carrier #Emirates Airline started with $10 million in seed capital and a couple of jets leased from #Pakistan #PIA in 1984.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-01-05/is-emirates-airline-running-out-of-sky


In 1984, Dubai was a backwater, one of the seven city-states that made up the fledgling United Arab Emirates, when its ruler, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum, and his son Mohammed decided to start an airline. With $10 million in seed capital and a couple of jets leased from Pakistan, Emirates was created a year later under the leadership of a pair of British expats, Maurice Flanagan and Tim Clark, initially serving regional destinations before making its first flights to London in 1987.


The airline, which is based in Dubai and owned by its government, has become the world’s largest long-haul carrier by never relaxing its grip—on employees, on airplane manufacturers, or on its own ambitions. Emirates recently configured a plane to seat 615 passengers, a record, and flies the world’s most epic nonstop route, an 8,824-mile arc from Dubai to Auckland. Emirates is essentially the only buyer of the largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380, which it gilds with stand-up cocktail bars and in-flight showers. For every flight departing Dubai, as cabin crew head to their airplanes, the last room they traverse is a hall with mirrors on one side and windows to the tarmac on the other. The space allows workers to inspect themselves for perfection against a backdrop of government-owned taxiways thick with Emirates jets. That’s the airline, in one image: glamour and ambition in a framework of absolute control.

Since 1985, Emirates has grown from a two-plane operation at a desert airstrip into a force whose every movement rumbles through global aviation. The airline’s growth is inseparable from that of Dubai, with both straining the laws of financial and physical gravity. The company’s chairman is Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the uncle of Dubai’s absolute monarch. He also runs the airport authority, the aviation regulator, and the city’s largest bank, should Emirates ever need a loan. Out in the desert, a half-hour drive from the coast’s skyscrapers and malls, the government is building a $32 billion, five-runway megahub precisely to Emirates’ specifications. Its ambitions are consonant with its name: Dubai World Central. The project will have a capacity of 220 million passengers per year, four times the number that New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport serves today. Two-thirds of humanity lives within the radius of an eight-hour flight. Among industry veterans, the airline’s rise inspires a respectful awe. “Emirates is unprecedented,” says Tony Tyler, a former chief executive officer of Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific. “There’s never been anything as huge.”

Yet as Emirates dictates new standards of technology, luxury, and range, it’s finding that more and more is beyond its mastery. Conceived as a titanic bet on the growth of what development economists call the Global South—the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America—the airline is at risk if those emerging markets don’t, in fact, emerge. Emirates in May reported its first-ever annual revenue decline and is cutting some of its plans for growth amid slackening demand from sub-Saharan Africa, Turkey, and Brazil. The slump has industry analysts wondering how Emirates will fill the staggering number of planes it has on order. The company has agreed to buy 50 A380s and 174 Boeing 777s, adding to the 92 and 148, respectively, it currently flies. By comparison, British Airways operates 12 A380s, and American Airlines, Delta, and United have zero.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan to launch new private #airline #SereneAir with 125 weekly flights to 7 Pakistani cities http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/52352-serene-air-to-launch-with-flights-to-seven-pakistani-cities … via @chaviation

Serene Air (SEP, Islamabad) will initially serve the domestic Pakistani market before venturing abroad. A Radixx International press release confirming Serene Air's choice of IT systems said the start-up would serve Lahore Int'l, Islamabad, Karachi Int'l, Faisalabad, Quetta, Peshawar, and Skardu with approximately 125 weekly flights initially.

Serene Air will launch with a trio of B737-800s but additional aircraft will provide for its expansion both domestically and, eventually, internationally. Once it has completed its certification, expected during the first half of this year, Serene Air will compete with the likes of AirBlue (PA, Karachi Int'l), PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Karachi Int'l), and Shaheen Air International (NL, Karachi Int'l).
Riaz Haq said…
New #Islamabad international #airport to be ready for operation by July 2017. #Pakistan http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/01/31/new-islamabad-airport-to-be-ready-for-operation-by-july/ … via @epakistantoday

The New Islamabad Airport in Islamabad will be ready for operations by late July.

Around 95pc work on the New, Islamabad International Airport has been completed and the remaining would be done by March 2017.

The facility will then be inaugurated by the prime minister on August 14.

During a high-level meeting to review progress on the new Islamabad Airport and its allied infrastructure at the PM House in Islamabad with officials of the Aviation Division, National Highway Authority (NHA), Islamabad Mayor, and other officials, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that infrastructure projects were the backbone of our economy and essential for the public.

The premier was informed that the new airport would have a capacity to handle 4,500 passengers at a time with 15 parking bays and terminal gates. Moreover, the airport would be able to accommodate two A-380 aircraft would be able to dock simultaneously. Further, the new airport would have state-of-the-art facilities such as cargo handling, safety and security, passenger facilitation and parking services.

With regards to allied infrastructure for the new airport, the NHA chairman said that the facility would be serviced through two main access road leading off from the M-1 and M-2 motorways. It would also have a road leading from the main GT Road (N-5).

Moreover, the airport can also be accessed through the Islamabad Metro from the Golra Mor. The PM will also inaugurate the new metro link along with the airport on August 14. Nawaz directed that no compromise should be made on the quality of work on the airport, access roads or the Metro Bus link. The prime minister was further informed that work on the new terminal at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore is expected to commence in March 2017.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan air travel data for 2014-15 according to Civil Aviation Authority:


International Passengers 11,695,832

Domestic Passengers: 6,339,888

Total: 18 million


Air Cargo:

International: 350,000 tons

Domestic: 38,663 tons

Total Cargo: 388,000 tons

http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/AT/stats/2014%20-%202015-APT.pdf
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan's private airline #ShaheenAir adds another Airbus A319, increasing its fleet size to 25 aircrafts

http://www.dawn.com/news/1316336

Shaheen Air International (SAI) announced on Wednesday that the airline has inducted another Airbus A319 into its fleet.

The airline is also slated to receive five more aircraft of the similar model. Earlier, there was only one A319 Airbus in the fleet of the airline.

"With 24 planes under its auspices, Shaheen Air is brimming with excitement upon receiving their 25th aircraft," said a statement.

The new aircraft comes wrapped in a new livery that builds on the revamped brand identity and philosophy of Shaheen, said the release.

The Airbus A319 has been custom-fitted with thin and linear seats and it can accommodate around 150 passengers in its all-economy segment.

Last month, the company had re-branded itself by launching a new logo.
Riaz Haq said…
#Saudi Airlines to start direct flight from #Jeddah to #Multan in #Pakistan

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1077306/corporate-news

Saudi Arabian Airlines is set to launch its first direct flight from Jeddah to the Pakistani city of Multan from Saturday, April 1. Eight weekly round-trip flights have been scheduled.
Saudi Arabian Airlines spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Taiyeb said it is part of the company’s plan to expand its international destination network based on operational and marketing studies, and on the optimal use of new airplanes which are joining the Saudi Airlines fleet regularly.
The carrier is continuously developing its international operational plan with the aim of increasing its share in the international flight sector, and achieving new records in carrying pilgrims.
The company has finalized the creation of its office at the new destination. The first flight SV800 will take off at 02:50 from Jeddah and arrive at Multan Airport 09:30 Pakistan time.
The arrival of the flight will be celebrated in Multan. Top executives from the airline’s offices in Pakistan and officials from the airport and Multan’s Civil Aviation Authority will take part in the ceremony.
The first flight to depart from Multan International Airport SV801 will take off on the same day at 11:30 and will arrive at King Abdul Aziz International Airport at 14:30 Saudi time.
Flights to Multan — the airline’s fifth direct-flight destination in Pakistan after Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad — will be on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Aircraft to be used are B777-300ER, which have the capacity of 30 and 383 business and economy class seats, respectively.
Riaz Haq said…
Exclusive: CPEC master plan revealed

https://www.dawn.com/news/1333101

One of the most intriguing chapters in the plan is the one that talks about the development of a “coastal tourism” industry. It speaks of a long belt of coastal enjoyment industry that includes yacht wharfs, cruise homeports, nightlife, city parks, public squares, theaters, golf courses and spas, hot spring hotels and water sports. The belt will run from Keti Bunder to Jiwani, the last habitation before the Iranian border. Then, somewhat disappointingly, it adds that “more work needs to be done” before this vision can be realized.
The plans are laid out in surprising detail. For instance, Gwadar will feature international cruise clubs that “provide marine tourists private rooms that would feel as though they were ‘living in the ocean’”. And just as the feeling sinks in, it goes on to say that “[f]or the development of coastal vacation products, Islamic culture, historical culture, folk culture and marine culture shall all be integrated.” Apparently more work needs to be done here too.

For Ormara, the plan recommends building “unique recreational activities” that would also encourage “the natural, exciting, participatory, sultry, and tempting characteristics” to come through. For Keti Bunder it recommends wildlife sanctuaries, an aquarium and a botanical garden. For Sonmiani, on the eastern edge of Karachi, “projects like a coastal beach, extended greenway, coastal villa, car camp, SPA, beach playground and a seafood street can be developed.”
It is an expansive vision that the plan lays out, and towards the end, it asks for the following: “Make the visa-free tourism possible with China to provide more convenient policy support for Chinese tourists to Pakistan.” There is no mention of a reciprocal arrangement for Pakistani nationals visiting China.
Riaz Haq said…
A total of 19.6 million passengers (6.9 million domestic, 12.7 million international) flew commercial airlines in Pakistan in 2015-16, up from 18 million (6.3 million domestic, 11.7 million international) in 2014-15, according to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/AT/stats/2015%20-%202016-APT.pdf

http://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/AT/stats/2014%20-%202015-APT.pdf
Riaz Haq said…
The top 10 routes accounted for 1.38 crore or 31% of the total domestic air traffic in these 6 months. Mumbai – Delhi (1200 Km) was the busiest route with 31.4 lakh passengers followed by Bengaluru – Delhi (1700 Km) with 17.48 lakh. Bengaluru – Mumbai (840 Km) was the third busiest route with 16.38 lakh passengers. Mumbai – Goa was the 4th busiest route with 11.77 lakh passengers. Mumbai was a part of the 6 out of top 10 routes while Delhi was a part of 5 of these routes. Delhi-Chennai & Delhi-Kolkata routes saw a sudden increase in the number of passengers in March 2016, possibly because of elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

https://factly.in/10-routes-account-for-close-to-a-third-of-all-domestic-air-traffic/


Longest busy domestic air route in Pakistan is 1100 Km Karachi-Islamabad route

2nd longest/busiest in Karachi-Lahore at 1025 Km
Riaz Haq said…
‘Emerging #Pakistan’ branding on #London buses https://www.geo.tv/latest/147309-emerging-pakistan-branding-on-london-buses LONDON: London’s iconic red double-decker buses are carrying brand Pakistan on the roads of Central London, the hub of world tourists. This ultimate branding campaign is running under the theme of “Emerging Pakistan” and will continue for four weeks.

Tens of thousands of people will get to see the London buses daily. During four weeks, millions will see these buses depicting the diversity and beauty of Pakistan.

The initiative is a part of celebrations planned by the Pakistan High Commission London for the 70th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan this year.

Fully wrapped double-decker buses are showcasing the pristine beauty of Pakistan with its highest peaks, beautiful landscape, rare fauna, monuments representing ancient civilisation, magnificent architecture and rich and diverse culture.

The moving buses are creating an unparalleled lasting visual impact on millions of pedestrians and motorists alike, especially the tourists. Millions of tourists visit London every year, mainly during summer. The buses decorated in Pakistani colours will pass through the tourist routes covering thousands of miles in total.

The bus wrapping campaign aims to introduce foreign tourists to the beautiful land of Pakistan that still remains unexplored.

Speaking to Geo News, Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK said: "Pakistan branding on the iconic London buses is projecting the true image of Pakistan in London which is the hub of the foreign tourists. This publicity campaign showcases the beauty of Pakistan, its culture, landscape and people, and will help promote tourism in Pakistan in the most effective way. The recent social uplift and economic prosperity in Pakistan underpins the theme of the campaign i.e. ‘Emerging Pakistan’ as acknowledged by many independent international organisations.”

He said foreigners are always mesmerised when they see the beauty of Pakistan’s culture and the richness of colours is appreciated all over the world.
Riaz Haq said…
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE > BUSINESS
CPEC investments lift Pakistan’s hospitality industry

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1445622/cpec-investments-lift-pakistans-hospitality-industry/

Infrastructure investments for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have given a helping hand to Pakistan’s hospitality industry as new hotels and guest houses are emerging in different parts of the country, said Jovago Asia Chief Executive Officer Nadine Malik.

“Pakistan’s middle class is growing and with higher disposable incomes, people are shelling out more money for leisure activities,” she said in an interview with The Express Tribune. “This is expected to further grow in coming months.”

Pakistan has achieved 5.3% gross domestic product (GDP) growth – the highest in a decade – in the outgoing fiscal year 2016-17. Gradual improvement in macroeconomic indicators and security situation since 2013 has helped all important sectors in the country.

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“Chinese are coming to Pakistan in big numbers, which is also an opportunity for us,” she said, adding though most of them are coming to work on mega projects where they have company accommodations, there is still potential for the hospitality industry as new guest houses are being constructed in the country.

While refusing to share the exact data of annual hotel bookings, Malik said the total number of visitors on the hotel booking portal jovago.net has crossed 3 million since the website’s launch in 2014.

Jovago caters to domestic tourists while only 2% of its customers are foreigners. Its top season is June and July mainly due to summer vacations. In its first year of operations, most of its clients travelled to Naran and Kaghan in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, but later people also took interest in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Hunza, Skardu and Gilgit-Baltistan. She said places like Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Skardu and Muzaffarabad are open only for four to five months from April to August, so a lot of Jovago’s traffic is also concentrated in these months.

The second busy season is December during which families travel mostly from one big city (like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad) to another due to winter vacations. A lot of travellers from mid-tier cities (like Faisalabad) also go to Islamabad and Lahore.

Most of the portal’s clients make business trips to Karachi, typically for just a few hours. However, due to improving security conditions in the city, a lot of them are now bringing their families with them to stay for a few days.

For instance, Malik said Arabian Country Club – a sprawling place with sports facilities such as golf and others about 45 kilometres east of Karachi – is usually booked out all the time.

“Our hotel partners in Karachi say that their occupancy rate, which was not more than 50% in 2014 on a good day, is now in the range of 70-80% mainly due to improving security situation in the financial capital of Pakistan.”

According to the Jovago CEO, the concept of long weekends is gaining momentum in Pakistan. For instance, a considerable number of people travelled around March 23 – a national holiday – that has been falling around weekends for the last two years.

Challenges

Malik said a lot of people still hesitate to travel inside the country due to perceived security threats. Apart from this, she added, there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of roads and other infrastructure facilities that could increase domestic tourism.

She felt that Pakistan needs more four and five-star hotels because the country has many two and three-star hotels but it lacks big ones.

According to Jovago Pakistan estimates, Pakistan’s annual travel, tourism and business travel spending exceeds over $12 billion. Leisure travel spending is expected to grow from $10.3 billion in 2016 to $17.6 billion in 2026 while business travel spending is expected to jump from $1.9 billion in 2016 to $3.3 billion in 2026.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan improves ranking on tourism competitiveness index

https://www.dawn.com/news/1325829/pakistan-improves-ranking-on-tourism-competitiveness-index

With less than a million foreign tourists visiting the country on an average, Pakistan has been able to improve its ranking by one point in 2017 – currently at 124 out of 136 countries – covered in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017 released by the World Economic Forum.

Earlier, the country was ranked 125 out of 141 countries in 2015.

Average receipts per arrival have been estimated at $328.3 whereas total receipt has been amounted to $317 million, with travel and tourism competitiveness has a share of 2.8 per cent of GDP.

The worst ranking for Pakistan pointed out by the report was visa requirements where ranking was 135 out of 136 countries. The government’s prioritisation of travel and tourism industry was ranked at 132 among the 136 countries surveyed by the report, while the sustainability of travel and tourism industry development got the ranking of 128. Effectiveness of marketing and branding to attract tourists got the ranking of 125.

The quality of tourism infrastructure got the ranking of 123 while hotel rooms got ranking of 129.

Pakistan has a total of 36 world heritage cultural sites and attractiveness of natural assets scored 127.

In 2017, the travel and tourism industry continues to make a real difference to the lives of millions of people by driving growth, creating jobs, reducing poverty and fostering development and tolerance. For the sixth consecutive year, industry growth outperforms that of the global economy, showcasing the industry’s resilience in the face of global geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility.

The industry contributed $7.6 trillion to the global economy, which was 10.2 per cent of global GDP, and generated 292 million jobs in 2016.

International arrivals followed suit, reaching 1.2 billion in 2016, 46 million more than in 2015. These promising figures are expected to continue increasing in the coming decade, report says.

Research shows that for every 30 new tourists to a destination one new job is created; and already today, the travel and tourism industry has almost twice as many women employers as other sectors. In 2016, nearly 4 billion people traveled by plane, a number expected to reach 7.2 billion by 2035.

The report says that travel and tourism competitiveness is improving, especially in developing countries and particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. As the industry continues to grow, an increasing share of international visitors are coming from and travel to emerging and developing nations.

In an increasingly protectionist context – one that is hindering global trade – the travel and tourism industry continues building bridges rather than walls between people, as made apparent by increasing numbers of people traveling across borders and global trends toward adopting less restrictive visa policies.

Despite the growing awareness of the importance of the natural environment to tourism growth, the travel and tourism sector faces enormous difficulties in developing sustainably, as natural degradation proceeds on a number of fronts, report points out.

Spain, France and Germany continue to top the travel and tourism rankings but Asia steals the show as the region’s largest economies show the greatest rise in tourism-friendliness. Asia’s largest markets are not only becoming larger source markets but also more attractive destinations.

Almost all of the region’s countries improved their ranking. Except for Japan, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Malaysia also made it to the top 30, while India made the largest leap in the top 50 to land in fortieth place.

The United Arab Emirates, ranked 29th globally, continues to be the most travel and tourism competitive country in the region by far. Its performance continues to improve since 2015; the country welcomed 14.4 million international visitors in 2015, 4 million more than two years earlier.
Riaz Haq said…
Overseas investors in #Pakistan find 94% reduction in #crime. #Lahore 94%, #Karachi 92% reduction.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1460324/overseas-investors-find-94-reduction-crime/

Overseas investors in Pakistan have observed up to 94% decline in different crimes all over the country in 2017, according to the annual survey conducted by Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI).

Respondents of the OICCI security survey 2017 experienced a drop in the overall street crimes with a 69% reduction in minor crimes (like mobile and cash snatching) and 90% decrease in major street crimes (like car snatching).

In terms of serious crimes like abductions/hostage taking and extortion (bhatta) – respondents across Pakistan reported major reductions as compared to 2016, ranging from 94% decrease in Lahore, closely followed by the rest of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (93%) and Karachi (92%).

Security survey 2017 is conducted in June and highlights a positive movement in the OICCI members’ perception of the country’s security environment. This comprehensive security survey has been conducted every year since 2015. It reflects the foreign investors’ perception on the improving security environment in the country especially after the launch of 2013 Karachi operations.

OICCI members have reported significant improvement in confidence and comfort of their staff on security matters, which went up further after the 86% increase reported in the previous survey, as the staffs now feel even more comfortable in their everyday commute to/from the workplace.

More significantly, a noteworthy feedback from the latest OICCI security survey is that a higher number of expatriate business visitors have travelled to Pakistan in the past one year and most of the business related meetings are now being held within Pakistan. Prior to August 2013 these were conducted in other countries due to security concerns.

This is a strong indicator that Pakistan as a destination has improved on the security concerns map and that such foreign businessmen are being granted travel permissions for their visit to Pakistan from their respective embassies and travel security agencies.

An overwhelming 62% respondents reported substantial increase in the number of overseas visitors to Pakistan as compared to last year. The highest number of OICCI members’ foreign visitors was from European countries followed closely by visitors from Middle East, China, Singapore, USA and Japan.

The 2017 survey once again re-affirms that threats and security concerns have substantially reduced in Pakistan for all key stakeholders of businesses including OICCI members.

“The security environment has substantially improved not only for the survey participants, meaning foreign investors, but also for their customers, suppliers and employees,” said OICCI President Khalid Mansoor.

The 2017 OICCI security survey result mirrors the improved security environment all over Pakistan, especially in Karachi in comparison to the last year and greatly enhanced since the time prior to August 2013.

A significant majority of the respondents were confident that the general threats to business had reduced compared to last year and a look at the last survey in June 2016 echoed the improvement nation-wide with Karachi’s security situation being given the thumbs up by 89%, closely followed by Lahore and the rest of Punjab with 85% and 82%.
Riaz Haq said…
PAKISTAN ASPIRES FOR CPEC-DRIVEN AVIATION INDUSTRY GROWTH

http://quwa.org/2017/09/03/pakistan-aspires-cpec-driven-aviation-industry-growth/

In a one-day symposium – titled “CPEC vis-à-vis Opportunities for Aviation Industry and Way Forward” – the Government of Pakistan, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and members of the private sector collectively expressed hope that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would spur growth in Pakistan’s aviation sector.

The Daily Times (Pakistan) compiled a report outlining the thoughts and aspirations of each symposium participant, which included the Federal Interior Minister Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, the PAF Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sohail Aman and other leading officials and industry representatives.

Short-term objectives center on guaranteeing the security of CPEC projects. In this respect, the PAF had outlined its success in building a capable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) element for providing situational awareness for all relevant parties, including its sister services the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF had also expressed confidence in its ability to counter asymmetrical threats through precision-guided airstrikes. It is also committed to providing search-and-rescue support.

The panel’s long-term aspirations echoed earlier government sentiments, namely of channeling projected economic growth from CPEC to effect industry gains. In this case, it is aviation.

PCAA Additional Director of Air Transport International Regulation Syed Muzaffar Alam projected that air travel in Pakistan will see an additional three million passengers in the next three to four years. Alam believed that this growth will present opportunities for growth in Pakistan’s commercial airline sector, be it new airlines or expanded ground support providers. In relation, PAF Air Vice Marshal Razi Nawab, the Deputy Managing Director of the Shaheen Foundation, stressed that investment be made in raising new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) entities and airlines in Pakistan to support growth in air travel.

Interior Minister Dr. Ahsan Iqbal called for developing Pakistan’s aviation development and manufacturing sectors, particularly through “Technology Intensive Clusters” at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra. He also advocated for research and development, joint-ventures and public-private partnerships.

The participating stakeholders proposed raising a joint working group comprising of representatives from the Government of Pakistan, the PAF, PCAA, the private sector and academic institutions to steward the objectives discussed at the symposium.
Riaz Haq said…
Avari group launches hotel in Multan

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/235983-Avari-group-launches-hotel-in-Multan

China would not let anyone dismember Pakistan or harm its territory because it was investing $ 46 billion in it for its survival, a leading businessman said on Tuesday.
“China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be a game changer for Pakistan which would bring prosperity, development and employment for thousands of people,” Byram Dinshawji Avari, chairman Avari Group of Companies told a press conference after the inauguration of Avari Xpress Boutique in Multan.
“I prefer to invest Pakistan and that’s why I am launching hotels of world-class in Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Islamabad, and other cities. All Pakistanis should invest in Pakistan and they should not look to other countries.”
Avari said he did not agree with those economists who were expressing their reservations on Chinese investment. “China would neither prove to be an East India Company nor capture our country,” he said.
He added that Gwadar port would help boost international trade with China and central Asian states. “When a motorway can help boost country's economy, business, and
prosperity, then why China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major project of Rs4600 billion will not prove to be a game-changer,” Avari asserted.
He said that investors should come forward to raise the graph of Pakistan in economy. Speaking on the occasion, the former Punajb minister Jalaluddin Roomi hoped that trade and economic activities would increase with the establishment of hotels of international repute in Multan. “A special economic zone should be developed in Multan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project,” Roomi demanded.
Riaz Haq said…
TRAVEL & TOURISM
ECONOMIC IMPACT 2017
PAKISTAN

World Travel and Tourism Council WTTC

The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was PKR793.0bn (USD7.6bn), 2.7% of total
The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was PKR2,033.5bn (USD19.4bn), 6.9% of GDP in 2016, and is
forecast to rise by 6.0% in 2017, and to rise by 5.8% pa to PKR3,793.0bn (USD36.1bn), 7.2% of GDP in 2027.
In 2016 Travel & Tourism directly supported 1,337,500 jobs (2.3% of total employment). This is expected to rise
by 2.3% in 2017 and rise by 2.5% pa to 1,757,000 jobs (2.3% of total employment) in 2027.
In 2016, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by
Visitor exports generated PKR93.8bn (USD893.8mn), 3.6% of total exports in 2016. This is
Travel & Tourism investment in 2016 was PKR375.2bn, 9.3% of total investment (USD3.6bn). It should rise by
8.1% in 2017, and rise by 8.0% pa over the next ten years to PKR872.0bn (USD8.3bn) in 2027, 11.4% of total.

https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-2017/pakistan2017.pdf
Riaz Haq said…
This is all the more painful when there’s so much promise. Here, I would like to draw attention towards our failed tourism: an industry where we had so much potential to tap but it’s all a dream gone sour. Tourism industry has been awfully neglected since inception. The United Nations 70th General Assembly has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development because tourism has boundless economic promise with it forecasted to contribute a massive US$ 11 Trillion to World GDP (11.4% of GDP). Even locally, the industry could make as much as Rs. 1 Trillion (US$ 10 Billion) by 2025, even with current infrastructure – and this is only a fraction of actual potential of our land that is so often termed as Switzerland of the East and a colloquial heaven on Earth.

Pakistan has so much to offer in terms of adventure, sports, spiritual, heritage and eco-tourism but the only things wrong with the industry are lack of infrastructure and a very frightening security landscape that haunt locals and expats alike. If we were to put these things right, the tourism industry could very well be our economy’s liberator; creating jobs, narrowing balance of payments as well as boosting our sluggish GDP growth but guess what: ride North and the indifference of government will be so absolutely evident.

Take an excursion to the captivating Saif-ul-Mulook and you will re-discover the meanings of un-metalled road. In fact, there is no road to the lake although this is probably the most frequently visited lake in the country – the approach up the hill is one where the jeep plod on rocks and stones with not even a centimeter-deep mud, gravel or metal to support the tyres. The journey to this Northern haven is an agonizing one.

Unfortunately, the story does not end there, the lake is gradually becoming full of junk and trash; not just because tourists are to blame but mainly because you would find no bins there and then, there’s another catch if you still want to like the place; there are no washrooms there: all I could find was a tent wherein the smell was so much more repugnant than an inflated bladder.

And the woes continue; the place is only open till dusk after which, if you are to believe the locals, you could be quizzed and even detained by police for staying late or camping there. It is almost a crime to sit down there across the lake to witness the reflections of a moon-lit night. And of-course, there is no electricity, access to telephone or cellular signals, a police post or a PTDC desk; there is not even an information-board there – it is all complete wilderness!

Add to it the fact that the nearest hospital from the lake is 100 kilometers or over 3 hours away, all the way down to Balakot. This, coupled with the dismal security situation, which is compounded by absence of any security posts at major tourist destinations (except for one in central Naran) can make the trip, a scary one, if things were to go awry.

And this is not ranting: when you fail to bring infrastructure in the 21st century to a place as celebrated and as captivating as the Saif-ul-Mulook, you lose a plethora of would-be international tourists who would be raring to witness these spectacular sights and the sites beyond this; as this lake also acts as a base-camp for tracks to breathtaking Aansoo Lake and mystical Malka-e-Parbat.

Times have changed. No one tours a place any longer because it’s famed to be a home to fairies or other exaggerations like the lake’s depth being unmeasurable or the adjoining peak being unsurmounted to date; something that the locals insist but nothing can be farther from the truth. All the local breadwinners (drivers, cooks and shopkeepers) complained about the lack of infrastructure there and how much even something as little as a two-lane road could better theirs as well as the country’s economy.

http://blogs.dunyanews.tv/18115/pakistans-conundrum-missed-tourism-opportunities
Riaz Haq said…
India is the world’s 7th largest tourism economy in terms of GDP, says WTTC India’s Travel & Tourism sector ranks 7th in the world in terms of its total contribution to the country’s GDP, shows a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). According to the new data, Travel & Tourism generated INR14.1 trillion (USD208.9 billion) in 2016, which is the world’s 7th largest in terms of absolute size, the sum is equivalent to 9.6% of India’s GDP. Additionally, the sector supported 40.3 million jobs in 2016, which ranks India 2nd in the world in terms of total employment supported by Travel & Tourism. The sector accounts for 9.3% of the country’s total jobs. India’s Travel & Tourism sector was also the fastest growing amongst the G20 countries, growing by 8.5% in 2016. A further 6.7% growth is forecast for 2017. India’s strong Travel & Tourism figures are predominantly generated by domestic travel, which accounts for 88% of the sector’s contribution to GDP in 2016. Visitor exports, money spent by foreign travellers in India, only represents 12% of tourism revenues and in 2016 totalled INR1.5 trillion (USD22.8bn). This is 5.4% of the country’s total exports, compared to a global average of 6.6%. Data from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) shows that India received only 9 million international arrivals in 2016, placing it 40th in the world, and a tenth of those received by top-ranking France. However, there is a lot of potential for India to grow their visitor exports. Over the past few months India has already starting to address this gap and made significant changes to visa facilitation, which will help to boost international arrivals. WTTC data suggests that visitor exports will grow by 5.4% in 2017.

Read more at: https://www.wttc.org/media-centre/press-releases/press-releases/2017/indias-is-the-worlds-7th-largest-tourism-economy-in-terms-of-gdp-says-wttc/
Copyright @ WTTC 2017
Riaz Haq said…
Aviation Industry in Pakistan shows great potential for growth
Updated about Dec 17, 2017

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/index.php?page=newsdetail&news_id=10794

The Aviation Industry in Pakistan has shown great potential for growth and aviation traffic has been increased over 10 percent in last few years inside the country but Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been facing financial losses due to bad mismanagement and lack of proper interest by the government.

According to aviation sources, even International Air Transport Association (IATA) which represents major industry airlines across the globe has also recognized the progress in this field and observed that Pakistan is amongst high growth aviation markets.

In the recent years, many airlines have increased in the frequency of operations of their airlines in Pakistan. The airlines from Bahrain, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and some other countries are operating to Pakistan and getting enough business.

This increasing trend of foreign airlines has been adding economic growth in Pakistan and also creating job opportunities in the country. The government while considering the growth potential in the aviation industry has taken a number of steps to cater more business from international airlines.

Besides takings measures for creating balance in Pakistani and foreign airlines, the government has liberalized the policy of aviation through initiating confidence building measures for foreign carriers with appropriate expansion and up-gradation of the aviation infrastructure.

A spokesman for aviation department said the government has taken measures to improve the security system for domestic and international airports, radar systems have been improved and measures are under way for further improvement of radar and guidance system for all flights especially in foggy conditions at the airports.

For this purpose instant landing system at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore has been upgraded to ensure continuity of flight operatio even in case of bad weather. New International Airport of Islamabad, equipped with most modern and latest facilities, will be operational at the start of next year.

A number of development projects are underway at Peshawar, Gwadar and Quetta for the improvement of the airports in these areas.

On the other and PIA, the national carrier, is facing huge financial losses due to bad management and bureaucratic attitude of the staff and lack of interest being taken by the government.

The business and revenue of the PIA is decreasing but the airline owned by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is making profit. Many routes of PIA are being closed but private airlines are opening new routes and making profit.

The financial loss of PIA in early 2017 was Rs. 45 billion which was 30 percent more as compared to last year losses. Although the PIA has 36 aircrafts and it has been acquiring more aircrafts on dry lease. As the PIA is national carrier, therefore, the government is taking care of its losses and injecting financial assistance from time to time to continue the operation of this airline.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan aims to sell national #airline #PIA before election.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-airlines-pakistan-intl/pakistan-aims-to-sell-national-airline-before-election-idUSKBN1F30NX

Pakistan International Airlines (PIAa.KA)(PIA), hemorrhaging money and losing market share to Gulf-based rivals such as Etihad and Emirates, has been hit by management turmoil in recent years and a 2016 plane crash that led to 47 deaths.

The privatization of loss-making entities that were draining the exchequer was a key priority for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party when it swept to power in 2013.

PIA was among 68 state-owned companies earmaked for privatization in return for a $6.7 billion International Monetary Fund package that helped Pakistan to stave off a default in 2013.

Despite some initial success, the process stalled in 2016 after staff protests caused havoc with PIA operations and the government passed a law that effectively made it impossible to privatize the airline.

But Aziz, chairman of the Privatisation Commission, told Reuters that new plans have been drawn up to sell off PIA and he would take the proposals to the cabinet committee on privatization, chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

“Next step would be going to the cabinet committee ... and that’s imminent, maybe even next week,” Aziz said in his Islamabad office this week.

The new plans focus on splitting up the carrier, with the core airline business being separated from vast peripheral operations such as catering, hotels and maintenance, Aziz said. The core airline would then be sold.

HEAVY LOSSES
But to complete the transaction, Aziz said, the government would have to pass laws in parliament to reverse the 2016 legislation that converted PIA into a limited company and effectively barred the government from giving up management control.

The impetus to sell PIA has grown as the airline has piled up huge losses estimated by its former CEO in March at about $30 million a month. Total debt stood at 186 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) at the end of 2016.

When asked how soon could a buyer could acquire PIA, Aziz said: “Tomorrow morning. If you have the money, come and buy it.”

Both Emirates and Etihad had shown interest in buying PIA before the government backed down from privatization in 2016, the English-language Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing an unnamed official.

Analysts have been skeptical about the government’s ability, or willingness, to take on powerful unions and embark on a privatization process so close to general elections likely in July or August.

Aziz said that, owing to time restraints ahead of the elections, the privatization commission will focus on one state company per sector, including a bank and an energy company.

He added that there has been “huge interest” in buying Pakistan Steel Mills, once the pride of Pakistan’s industrial output but now shut and bleeding cash.

“We will get runs on the board, but the real challenge is to bring to fruition the two big animals: one is PIA and the other one is Steel Mills,” Aziz said.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan to have 5 new domestic/international #airlines soon to meet nation's #airtravel boom: Askari Air, Air Siyal, Go Green, Liberty Air and Afeef Zara Airways.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1620663/2-open-skies-policy-five-new-airlines-plan-enter-pakistan-pia-stands-lose/

“Air traffic of the country has swelled 40% over the past five years to 20 million passengers,” Standard Chartered Pakistan Chief Executive Officer Shahzad Dada said at the recent launch of the Emirates Standard Chartered Credit Card.

The current rate of growth in Pakistan’s aviation industry is expected to be around 9% per annum which could continue till 2020, according to a forecast of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – a trade body of world’s airlines.

“These numbers tell us the open skies policy has proved favourable for the country and its people,” remarked Muhammad Afsar Malik, former additional director of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who was believed to have played a key role in framing the National Aviation Policy 2015.

Most of the upcoming carriers will target low-profit, far-off destinations like Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Dalbandin, Zhob, Rawalakot, Skardu, Chitral, Gilgit, Bannu, Parachinar and Muzaffarabad.

Of these, Gwadar, Gilgit-Baltistan and Turbat could generate immediate profits because of their tourism potential and work on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

For these remote regions, the new carriers will bring airplanes suitable for small airports.

National flag carrier PIA has thus far taken advantage of these routes as it is the only player catering to air travel needs of these areas. PIA, which once helped Emirates airline of the UAE by giving two aircraft with crew, is now beset with financial trouble with losses going beyond Rs300 billion.

According to Malik, Pakistan’s domestic air traffic has grown 10%, which is six percentage points higher than the 4% expansion in international air traffic.

Although Pakistan’s market size is increasing, the share of domestic airlines is contracting. They carried 42% of the passengers in financial year 2016-17 as opposed to the 58% flown by international airlines.

“Airlines are in the race to attract customers through fare reduction; had the market not been free, the air ticket you got for Rs10,000 would have cost around Rs30,000,” said Malik. “Competition is good for public service.”

However, PIA does not seem to be buying the idea.

“Private airlines, especially foreign carriers, have mainly resorted to price cuts, instead of going more towards customer satisfaction in terms of comfort and improved services,” commented PIA spokesperson in an email response to a query.

Separately, a Shaheen Air spokesman said in an email “about every player in the aviation chain including airports, airplane manufacturers, jet engine makers, travel agents and service companies turn in healthy profits. Yet, it is one of the enduring ironies that companies that actually move passengers from one place to another, which are a crucial link in the chain, struggle to achieve break even.”

He suggested that the government should revisit its open skies policy as foreign carriers could enter Pakistan’s market without any restriction. “Authorities should devise a new concept called a fair skies policy whereby local carriers along with foreign ones have a fair share in the market,” he said.

The industry did not oppose market liberalisation, but it should be designed in such a way that industry players were not hurt as they were already operating at a low profit margin of less than 3%, he said. “The industry, including PIA, is producing a combined net loss annually.”

UAE’s Emirates and Etihad Airways as well as Qatar Airways among other Gulf carriers are giving a tough time to Pakistan’s domestic airlines, which believe it is hard to compete with these foreign carriers since they are state-funded or operated.


Riaz Haq said…
5 airlines to venture into Pakistan
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-29 20:13:38|Editor: Lifang

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/29/c_136934060.htm

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Five national and international airlines have applied for regular public transport airline license of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to venture into the country's aviation industry, local reports said Monday.

The airlines are expected to get permission to carry out the flight operation in the country's skies during the next one year, which is likely to bring down passenger fares, local newspaper Express Tribune said.

Airlines including Askari Air, Air Siyal, Go Green, Liberty Air and Afeef Zara Airways have applied for the license to be a part of the aviation industry which is expected to be around 9 percent per annum and likely to keep the same pace till 2020, according to a forecast of the International Air Transport Association, a trade body of world's airlines.

Pakistan's air traffic has soared up to 40 percent over the past five years to 20 million passengers, and is continuously witnessing an upward trend due to improvement of law and order situation in the country, which is bringing in more tourists in the country.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has also resulted in the increase of air traffic in the country.

Most of the upcoming carriers will target low-profit, far-off destinations including Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Dalbandin, Zhob, in Balochistan province where CPEC projects are in full swing, and the tourist destinations of Rawalakot, Skardu, Chitral, Gilgit, Bannu and Parachinar.

The destinations could generate immediate profits because of their tourism potential and work on CPEC projects.

For these remote regions, the new carriers will bring airplanes suitable for small airports.

The entry of new airlines in the country's airspace is expected to further increase challenges of the country's national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines, which was the sole operator in most of these routes in the past.
Riaz Haq said…
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects 7.8 billion passengers to travel in 2036, a near doubling of the 4 billion air travelers expected to fly this year. The prediction is based on a 3.6% average Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) noted in the release of the latest update to the association’s 20-Year Air Passenger Forecast.

http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2017-10-24-01.aspx

Pakistan's total aviation market grew 5.11% from 2015-16 to 2016-17, according to CAA data.

Pakistan's domestic market increased 3.2% from 2015-16 to 2016-17.

Pakistan's international market grew 6.1% from 2015-16 to 2016-17.

A total of 21.7 million passengers (7.2 million domestic, 14.6 million international) flew commercial airlines in Pakistan in 2016-17, up from 20.7 million (6.95 million domestic, 13.76 million international) in 2015-16, according to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

https://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/AT/stats/2016%20-%202017-APT.pdf

https://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/AT/stats/2015%20-%202016-APT.pdf
Riaz Haq said…
Domestic air passenger traffic surges 18% in January, says IATA data
India's domestic passenger traffic growth was followed by that of Russian Federation at 7.9% and China at 6.6%

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/domestic-air-passenger-traffic-surges-18-in-january-says-iata-data-118030800871_1.html

Despite a slower international passenger demand growth, India's domestic passenger traffic grew by almost 18 per cent in January, a global airline association said on Thursday.

Data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that India's domestic demand - revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) - was highest amongst major aviation markets like Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Russia and the US.


According to the data, India's domestic RPK - which measures actual passenger traffic, rose by 17.9 per cent in January compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

"All markets showed growth, led by India, which experienced its 41st consecutive month of double-digit traffic increases," IATA said in its global passenger traffic results.

India's domestic passenger traffic growth was followed by that of Russian Federation at 7.9 per cent and China at 6.6 per cent.

In terms of capacity, India's domestic available seat kilometres (ASK) - which measures available passenger capacity, climbed higher by 16.7 per cent in January, followed by China's 8.9 per cent growth.

The data disclosed that the international passenger demand for January rose by 4.6 per cent compared with the year-ago period.

"This was the slowest year-over-year increase in nearly four years, but results were affected by temporary factors including the later timing of the Lunar New Year in 2018 as well as less favourable comparisons with the strong upward trend in traffic seen in late 2016-early 2017," IATA said.

The global January ASK rose 5.3 per cent and load factor slipped half a percentage point to 79.6 per cent.

"Despite the slower start, economic momentum is supporting rising passenger demand in 2018. That said, concerns over a possible trade war involving the US could have a serious dampening effect on global market confidence, spilling over into demand for air travel," said Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO, IATA.
Riaz Haq said…
Ziarat forests are spread over nearly 110,000 hectares. No dendrological study has been conducted but mature trees are often thousands of years old, earning them the title of "living fossils".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43660466

The forest lies in mountains ranging from more than 1,000m (3,000 feet) above sea level to nearly 3,500 metres above sea level. The remarkable longevity of the trees allows research into past weather conditions and makes the species significant for climate change and ecological studies.
Pakistan declared it a Biosphere Reserve in 2013.

It's also a habitat for black bears and wolves, as well as urials, a type of sheep, and the Sulaiman markhor, a large species of wild goat.

Juniper berries are enjoyed for their flavour in cooking and their oil has several uses.

The forest in Ziarat is a popular tourist spot, some 120km (75 miles) east of the provincial capital Quetta.

It gained a reputation as a health resort after Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah stayed there in the summer of 1948, in the last days of his life.

But these days the area covered by the forest is decreasing. Locals criticise provincial officials for not doing enough to protect the forest, as BBC Hindi's Shumaila Jafri has reported.

Locals looking for firewood keep felling trees. There is no other source of fuel.

Piped gas would be a cheaper option but the gas supply was never extended to Ziarat. While Balochistan produces the bulk of Pakistan's natural gas, it is the most neglected when it comes to piped supplies.

There has been some illegal commercial felling but the damage is not extensive, thanks to awareness campaigns run by NGOs.

Forest officials say decreasing tree cover is partly due to the time a sapling takes to grow.

Only 10% of new saplings survive. Last year 20,000 saplings were planted but only 2,000 will go on to become mature trees.
Riaz Haq said…
#BritishAirways to resume flights to #Pakistan after "great improvements" in #security - BBC News

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-airline-britishairways/british-airways-to-resume-pakistan-flights-after-a-decade-idUSKBN1OH0SY

British Airways will resume flights to Pakistan next year after a 10-year absence that followed a major hotel bombing, becoming the first Western airline to restart flights to the South Asian nation.

BA halted flights following one of the most high-profile attacks in Pakistan’s history, the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing in the capital, Islamabad, which took place during a period of devastating Islamist militant violence that swept the country.

But security has since improved, with militant attacks sharply down in the mainly Muslim country of 208 million people. In Islamabad, a web of road checkpoints dotted across the city for more than a decade has mostly been dismantled.

Richard Crowder, the Deputy British High Commissioner to Pakistan, told reporters in Islamabad BA’s return was in large part due to “an improvement in the security environment in this country”.

Pakistani officials hailed BA’s move, saying it will offer confidence to other foreign investors and make the country less isolated.

“Once it gets around the world that British Airways has put its stamp of approval on Pakistan, it will put us one or two notches up as a country to do business with,” said Commerce Minister Abdul Razak Dawood.

BA, which is owned by Spanish-registered IAG, is due to begin the London Heathrow-Islamabad service on June 2, with three weekly flights by the airline’s newest long-haul aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

At present, only loss-making national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flies directly from Pakistan to Britain, but its aging fleet of planes is a frequent source of complaints by passengers.

Middle Eastern carriers Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates [EMIRA.UL] have a strong presence in Pakistan and have been eating into PIA’s dwindling market share. Turkish Airlines also lays on a regular service to Pakistan.

Islamabad has been running international advertising campaigns to rejuvenate its tourism sector that was wiped out by Islamist violence that destabilized the country following the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001 and the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan was formed at partition at the end of British rule in India in 1947 and more than a million people of Pakistani origin live in Britain.

Robert Williams, Head of Sales for Asia Pacific and the Middle East for British Airways, said the carrier believes the route “will be particularly popular with the British Pakistani community who want to visit, or be visited by, their relatives”.

Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, a special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan, said “British Airways coming back after a decade shows you where we were and how far we have come”.
Riaz Haq said…
#BritishAirways compete with #Virgin Atlantic for flights/passengers to/from #Pakistan. BA plans to add a 2nd route to Pakistan, 4 times a week from #London Heathrow to #Lahore as Virgin Atlantic starts service #Manchester-#Lahore. #tourism #economy #PTI https://ukaviation.news/ba-to-take-on-virgin-in-pakistan/

British Airways (BA/BAW) has announced that it plans to added a second route to Pakistan, from London Heathrow to Lahore.

The move comes just days after Virgin Atlantic announced that it was launching services to Islamabad and Lahore from London and Manchester.

The British Airways flight will operate 4 times-per-week using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

BA director of network and alliances, Neil Chernoff, said: ““Our new flights will give us the opportunity to open up more of Pakistan to travelers from the UK, so they can experience its delights and rich culture,”

Adding: “We also think this will be hugely popular with the British Pakistani community, giving them more convenient options to visit family and friends.”

The first flight will operate on 12th October, a month before Virgin’s operations begin.

Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan 8,000’ers (Over 8,000-Meter Peaks): K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrums & Nanga Parbat. After some slow days because of bad weather in the Karakorum and on Nanga Parbat, climbers have begun to head up again. #adventure #tourism #Himalaya #Karakoram https://explorersweb.com/2021/07/06/pakistan-8000ers-on-the-move-at-last/

K2
In the interim, all the teams on 8,000m expeditions have had time to reach K2 Base Camp. This includes an all-Pakistani team from Hushe that includes Mohammad Taqi, Ali Durrani, Muhammad Hassan, Mushtaq Ahmad, and Yousuf Ali.

Nepal’s Pioneer Adventure team, with a strong Sherpa crew and three Ukrainian clients, have arrived as well, after a “boring trek to BC”, according to member Olya Koroleva. A very unusual view of the spectacular hike through the Karakorum.

Meanwhile, Mirza Ali’s Karakorum Expeditions squad battled cold and fresh snow to fix the route to Camp 2. “The team started from C1 at 8 am despite heavy fresh snow and by 4 pm they had fixed rope to Camp 2,” Mirza Ali wrote.”A truly remarkable job.”

Jalal Uddin, Eid Muhammad, Ahmed Baig, and Faryad Karim lead the fixers, supported by Inayat Ali, Ghulam Abbass, Basharat Hussain, and Younis Ali.

Broad Peak
On Broad Peak, Karakorum Expeditions has its own team, which has already set up tents in Camp 2.

Lotta Hintsa reported yesterday that she and Don Bowie were preparing to leave again for Camp 3, despite an avalanche that swept that area recently.

Broad Peak has also had its first partial ski descent when Thomas Lone skied down from Camp 1. Lone has joined the Russian Dathzone Freeride team of Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovnik. Last year, that duo made an almost complete ski descent from Nanga Parbat. Back then, they teamed up with the late Cala Cimenti.

Gasherbrums
Nearby, on the Gasherbrums, the Altitude Team climbing GII are back to Camp 1. They report that high-altitude porters have already fixed the Banana Ridge, thus clearing the way to Camp 2. The weather was still iffy when they left yesterday, but the Catalans trusted an improving forecast for tomorrow and Thursday.

Marco Confortola and Mario Vielmo, who had intended to break trail to Camp 2 on Gasherbrum I, had to retreat after a night at 6,000m because of lack of visibility. But the excursion did help their acclimatization.

Nanga Parbat
Further west, on Nanga Parbat, Lolo Gonzalez and Sergio Carrascoso observed avalanches sweeping down the Diamir Face all day yesterday, after nearly a week of non-stop snowfall. Because of the relentless bad weather, they are not yet acclimatized, even after 23 days. At this point, it’s now or never.

“Let’s hope snow conditions improve and the weather stabilizes because we need to stay eight days at altitude,” Gonzalez told his home team. “[We need to be] as high as we can get but in any case, not lower than 6,500m in order to acclimatize.”

Gonzalez says that in his 16 Himalaya expeditions, he has never had to stay so long in a Base Camp with so little altitude gain. At least, their relatively low Base Camp, set up on a grassy alpine meadow, is warm and comfortable.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan's Lakson Group, Air Arabia to start a new low-cost #airline. Fly Jinnah will operate as a joint venture using low-cost model of Air Arabia. It'll promote travel & #tourism sector and contribute to the country’s #economic growth and #job creation. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pakistans-lakson-group-air-arabia-start-new-low-cost-airline-2021-09-03/

Pakistan's Lakson Group and Middle Eastern budget carrier Air Arabia (AIRA.DU) said on Friday they would launch a low-cost airline serving domestic and international routes from Pakistan.

The new carrier, Fly Jinnah, will operate as a joint venture between the pair, they said in a statement, adopting the low-cost model operated by Air Arabia.

The statement said the new airline would help Pakistan’s travel and tourism sector and contribute to the country’s economic growth and job creation.

Air Arabia operates from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, and has similar joint ventures in Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Morocco and Armenia. Its shares are listed on the Dubai Financial Market.

The airline has been pushing ahead to expand in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak last year as low-cost carriers bet on a post-pandemic surge in travel.
Riaz Haq said…
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has performed a successful test flight at a Chinese-built runway in the mineral-rich region of Balochistan’s Saindak town, China Urdu reported.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2320056/watch-pia-performs-successful-test-flight-at-juzzak-airport-in-balochistan


The development comes a day after Juzzak Airport in the Chagai district of Balochistan was made operational for flights to and from Karachi mainly for the Chinese engineers working on projects in the region.

Last month, the Parliamentary Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was informed that the progress on New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) was on track and it would be fully operational by September 2023.

In a meeting of the committee presided over by Sher Ali Arbab, the Aviation Division secretary told the panel that the project, which was originally expected to be completed by next year, has been postponed till October 2023.

The China Airport Construction Group informed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) about the new time limit for the project, deferring the project funded by the Chinese company.

According to the document obtained by The Express Tribune, the passenger terminal building of the project will be completed by June 2023; work related to air traffic control will be completed by March 2023 while the overall construction of the airport will finish by October 2023.
Riaz Haq said…
Five Stunning #Architectural Wonders To See In #Pakistan: Badshahi Mosque #Lahore, Shah Jahan Mosque Thatta Sindh, Ranikot Fort (The Great Wall of #Sindh), Chaukhandi Tombs near #Karachi & Noor Mahal in #Bahawalpur. #Tourism #architecture https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaredranahan/2021/11/29/five-stunning-architectural-wonders-to-see-in-pakistan/

Located along the iconic Indus River, the region that contains modern-day Pakistan has played home to countless empires for thousands of years, ushering in some truly fascinating architectural wonders scattered across its lands. From opulent red sandstone-clad towers built by the Mughal Empire to centuries-old structures found within the rural depths of Sindh, this sprawling nation has a world of opportunity in store for fans of intricate architecture.

Riaz Haq said…
Gwadar airport to be operational by December
$246 million greenfield Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) being built at an area of 4,300 acres

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360858/gwadar-airport-to-be-operational-by-december


QUETTA:
The test flight from new Gwadar International Airport would be started from December this year as the construction work on site has been expedited, an official of Gwadar Development Authority said on Thursday.

The new $246 million greenfield Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) being built at an area of 4,300 acres would be made operational before the deadline which was September 2023, the official said.

The government has also expanded the 50-bed Pak-China Friendship Hospital Gwadar to 150 beds state-of-the-art medical centre in order to ensure best health care facilities for the people of Gwadar.

The authority would ensure state-of-the-art free medical facility to the inhabitants of the port city of Gwadar from January next year, he said.

The officials were making all-out efforts to expedite the infrastructure and development projects for its timely completion.

The GDA said the authority has expedited the implementation of old town rehabilitation plan of Gawadar to provide best infrastructure and provide every facility to the masses of the port city. With the support of federal government, the project worth Rs3.3 billion for old town rehabilitation of Gwadar was in full swing to develop the city on modern lines to end the sense of deprivation among the people of the area, he addd.

The federal government would be funding 67 per cent of the total cost while Balochistan government would bear the remaining cost for the old town rehabilitation under the Gwadar development plan.

Under the plan, water drainage, supply and distribution of utility projects would be completed soon, besides ensuring the supply of clean drinking water to the dwellers.

The official said the water supply issue in Gwadar would be resolved in the short period of three months as desalination plant is also in progress to cater to the need of whole city.

The authorities have been directed to strictly adhere to Gwadar Master Plan while carrying out development and other public welfare projects in the city.
Riaz Haq said…
Xinhua Video: New Gwadar International Airport

https://youtu.be/41pCsOkmBoI

Key Highlights

Being built by China Airport Construction Company

Rising Phoenix shape like a wing

4F class---2nd greenfield airport after New Islamabad Airport (longer than 1,800 meters)

3,650 meters long runway

Project started October 2019

Original schedule was for completion in 36 months

Delayed due to pandemic, now expected to be completed by December, 2022

Riaz Haq said…
A new runway at Faisalabad International Airport will be completed by October this year, enabling Boeing 777 aircraft to land, said Airport Manager Muhammad Anwar Zia.


Addressing Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here on Thursday, he added that the air cargo complex was also under construction and 75% of the work was expected to be completed before the runway becomes operational.

Zia expressed satisfaction over the available passenger load and air cargo and said that 102 domestic and international flights were successfully operating from Faisalabad airport.

Zia expressed satisfaction over the available passenger load and air cargo and said that 102 domestic and international flights were successfully operating from Faisalabad airport.

He said the old runway could only accommodate small planes, which prompted authorities to construct a new runway for wide-bodied aircraft, in view of the projected increase of passengers and air cargo from the city and its catchment areas.

---------------

The new runway will be completed by October this year, enabling Boeing 777 to land at Faisalabad International Airport.

This was stated by airport manager Muhammad Anwar Zia at a meeting with FCCI officials on Thursday.

He said the air cargo complex was also under construction and 75 per cent of the work would be completed before the runway becomes operational.

He expressed satisfaction over the available passenger load and air cargo and said the airport was in a deficit of Rs220 million when he was posted here.

“It is now earning a profit of Rs2 billion,” he said and added that presently 102 domestic and international flights are operating from this airport facility in a month. He said that only small planes could land on the old runway, prompting authorities to construct a new runway.

He said a study was conducted to evaluate the passenger load before contacting international airlines. At that time the available passenger load was only 70,000 which jumped to 500,000 and is now expected to cross the mark of 800,000 within the next few years. He said that in a similar pattern, we must calculate the available tonnage of air cargo so that the airlines could be convinced to launch a dedicated air cargo service from this port.

He asked the FCCI to share data on air cargo so that a comprehensive study could be finalised. Four planes can be parked at a time and more facilities will also be arranged after calculating the passengers and air cargo shipments, he said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1696356/faisalabad-airport-to-get-new-runway

Riaz Haq said…
Pakistani peaks set to attract record number of international climbers

https://www.dawn.com/news/1696931/pakistani-peaks-set-to-attract-record-number-of-international-climbers

As many as 1,400 mountaineers from around the globe, including the first female Arab climber, are expected to scale some of the world’s highest peaks located in Gilgit-Baltistan this year.

It’s a stark contrast to the previous year, when 550 foreign climbers arri­ved for adventure tourism.

The Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department had already issued 700 permits to international climbers, and as many were expected to be issued this summer, an official told Dawn.

The climbers — coming from Europe, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China, Russia, Poland, Japan and Norway — are eyeing to summit various peaks, including five eight-thousanders (i.e. mountains towering above 8,000 metres) and 20 seven- and six-thousanders.

Pakistan boasts five of the world’s 14 eight-thousanders, inclu­ding the world’s second-highest peak K2 (8,611 metres), followed by Nanga Parbat (ranked ninth at 8,126 metres), Gasher­brum-I (11th at 8,080 metres), Broad Peak (12th at 8,051 metres), and Gasher­brum-II (13th at 8,035m).


Moreover, 40 Pakistani mountaineers are also in the race, including Sajid Ali Sadpara, Sir­baz Khan, Abdul Joshi, She­roze Kashif, Samina Baig and Naila Kiani.

As many as 3,000 local porters have been hired by several expedition teams to carry the supplies.

Peaceful environment

Alpine Club of Pakistan Secre­tary Karrar Haidri said many international expedition team members from various countries had already arrived in Pakistan. He said this was the highest number of international mountaineers coming to Pakistan since the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Mr Haidri said a record number of more than 400 climbers would attempt to scale K2, the second-highest — and also the most challenging — peak in the world.

He believed that the prevailing peaceful environment in Pakistan and the introduction of online visas had helped attract such a large number of international tourists this year.

GB Tourism Mini­ster Raja Nasir Ali Khan told Dawn the tourism department was ready to facilitate climbers and cope with emergencies. He said 1,200 international climbers had applied for permits, adding that this year would witness record adventure tourism activity in Pakistan.

Home Secretary Iqbal Hussain Khan told Dawn the GB government and the army had all arrangements in place to rescue climbers in case of emergency.

Adventure Pakistan CEO Muhammad Ali Nagri told Dawn several expeditions had reached base camps while more were on the way.
Riaz Haq said…
Airline seeks flights to smaller cities

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2501376/airline-seeks-flights-to-smaller-cities


KARACHI:
A domestic airline already operating in Pakistan has sought approval from the CAA to launch flights to smaller airports using low-capacity aircraft.

The move aims to provide air travel options for passengers currently relying on buses, trains, and cars for long journeys from the North to the South of the country.

During a press conference on Monday, Director General of the CAA Nadir Shafi Dar addressed several matters concerning Pakistan's aviation sector. It was his first formal media briefing since the CAA's recent restructuring into two divisions.

Dar announced that airports in smaller cities, including Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, and more remote regions like Gwadar, Gilgit, and Skardu, would soon offer regular air services.

An existing airline has already requested permission to operate small aircraft on these routes, with plans to introduce flights for up to 40 to 50 passengers by early 2025.

The airline will initially deploy at least three small aircraft, with services expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

The DG further expressed optimism that more airlines would follow suit, boosting air connectivity for primary and secondary airports across the country.

"Currently, about 30 million passengers travel from the North to the South annually by bus, train, or car. If the airline sets reasonable fares, this route could become commercially viable," said Dar.

He also provided an update on PIA, saying that an audit of all national airline aircraft had been initiated following several incidents of technical landings and other issues.

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