Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari announced on Saturday that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has officially approved the launch of the province’s own airline, Air Punjab, which is expected to begin operations within the next year.
The idea for Air Punjab was first proposed in November 2024, shortly after the federal government’s unsuccessful attempt to privatize Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Bokhari declared, “Pakistan is about to see its first provincial airline take flight — Air Punjab,” adding that CM Maryam gave the go-ahead during a recent meeting.
“This airline will begin operations in as little as eight months, and no later than a year,” she said.
Providing more details, Bokhari shared that four aircraft will be leased immediately to kickstart the airline. She noted that under current aviation regulations, new airlines in Pakistan must operate domestically for at least a year before expanding internationally. “Air Punjab will be ready to serve the public very soon,” she assured.
The chief minister has directed officials to swiftly complete the licensing and leasing procedures. Bokhari emphasized the groundbreaking nature of the initiative, saying, “No one had even imagined launching a provincial airline before.”
She also shared another major infrastructure development that had been delayed due to recent tensions following the Pahalgam incident.
Bokhari revealed that Pakistan’s first bullet train — between Lahore and Rawalpindi — has also been approved by CM Maryam. The high-speed train will reduce travel time between the two cities to just 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The bullet train project will be a joint effort between the Punjab government and Pakistan Railways, Bokhari added. CM Maryam has also requested proposals for additional high-speed rail routes within Punjab, including:
- Lahore to Shahdara and Narowal
- Lahore to Raiwind and Kasur
- Pakpattan to Lodhran
- Sheikhupura to Shorkot
- Shorkot to Sargodha via Jhang
- Lala Musa to Sargodha via Malakwal
She added that the Punjab rail system would undergo a complete overhaul as part of these initiatives.
Pakistan had been seeking to privatize PIA by offloading a 51–100% stake in the financially struggling airline. However, the only bid received — Rs10 billion for a 60% share — fell far short of the government’s minimum valuation of Rs85 billion, halting the sale.
On November 1, 2024, the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government expressed interest in acquiring the airline. The next day, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif shared that his daughter, CM Maryam, had consulted him on whether Punjab should acquire PIA or launch a new airline instead.
Nawaz had suggested that the province could potentially buy and rebrand the airline as Air Punjab. However, the Punjab government later clarified it had no intention of participating in the PIA bidding process.
