As the airlines are gradually resuming regular passenger operations worldwide with safety measures after months of shutdown, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistanis have one more reason to travel — at least on domestic routes.
The country’s national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), and other private airlines, such as Air Blue and Serene Air, have reduced their fares to as low as Rs7,799 (less than $50 or less than Dh184) in the face of a sharp fall in demand. This comes in the backdrop of the heavy losses that the aviation industry has suffered globally.
PIA led the way by offering heavily discounted tickets for those flying from and to Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore — with fares pegged as low as just Rs9,572. The move compelled the two private players — Air Blue and Serene Air — to slash their prices by more than 50 per cent to attract the passengers.
‘Air travel is as cheap as train travel’
A few Pakistanis took to social media to share their surprise and excitement that airfares, for the first time in Pakistan, were equivalent to train tickets. “What a time to be alive,” wrote Dawar Butt on Twitter, comparing the cost of air travel with train and bus travel. “Lahore to Karachi by air is Rs6,800, by rail is Rs6,600 and by road is Rs9,900” he tweeted.
What a time to be alive.
— Dawar (@theLahorewala) July 11, 2020
Lahore ➡️ Karachi
By air ✈️ = Rs 6800
By rail 🚆 = Rs 6600
By road 🚘 = Rs 9900 pic.twitter.com/6CZc6wcwAi
Air travel from Lahore to Karachi takes about an hour and 40 minutes, while the fastest and best train, Green Line, takes 16-18 hours. Road travel would take around 12-13 hours to cover a distance of about 1,200km between the cultural city of Lahore and the coastal city of Karachi.
