Pakistan International Airline was formed in 1955. It is currently the 16th largest airline in Asia and operates to more than 70 domestic destinations and foreign destinations throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. There are three scheduled airlines in Pakistan: Airblue, Pakistan International Airlines, and Serene Air. There are three charter airlines: Askari Air Pakistan, ASSL, and Princely Jets. There are many cargo airlines as well. In this article, we shall read about the differences between Air Indus, Airblue, and AirSial airlines.

Air Indus

Air Indus was a private airline. It was based in Karachi, Pakistan. It operated as a domestic airline. Its headquarters were based in the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi.

Airblue

Airblue Limited is a private Pakistani airline. Its headquarter is on the 12th floor of the Islamabad Stock Exchange Towers in Islamabad. Airblue has a partnership with PepsiCo. It had a partnership with Ukrainian Windrose Airlines for the lease of some Wind rose aircrafts. The wet lease was for three years and came to its end in 2016.

AirSial

AirSial Limited is a planned Pakistani airline. Its headquarter is in Sialkot, Pakistan. It is a start-up airline formed and funded by the local business community in Sialkot region of Punjab, Pakistan. AirSial is referred to as ‘Pride of Pakistan’ as it would close the gap in growing Pakistani aviation market.

Air Indus Vs Airblue Vs AirSial

Founded

  • Air Indus was founded in 2010. It began its operations on 28 July 2013.
  • Airblue was founded in 2003. It commenced its operations on 18 June 2004.
  • AirSial was founded in October 2017. It is expected to commence its operations in the second quarter of 2020.

Head

  • Air Indus was headed by Chairman and CEO Abdul Wahab.
  • Airblue is headed by Tariq Chaudhary. He is the owner of Airblue.
  • AirSial is headed by two persons. Its chairman is Fazal Jilani. Its CEO is Ameen Ahsan.

Destinations catering

Air Indus catered to 8 destinations i.e., Bhawalpur, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and Quetta.

Airblue operates scheduled domestic and international flights. The focus cities are: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Islamabad, Jeddah, and Lahore. There are some other destinations also, like Sharjah, Riyadh, Peshawar, and Multan. Its operations are terminated for the following cities: Muscat, Faisalabad, Gwadar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Dammam, Medina, Istanbul, Birmingham, and Manchester.

AirSial is scheduled for 4 destinations: Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot. Sialkot International Airport is the hub of AirSial. Its secondary hub is Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. It has plans to further expand to destinations situated in the Middle East also.

Fleet size

Air Indus had 3 aircraft. All three were ATR 72 aircraft. Each aircraft had an ‘economy class’ which could seat 70 passengers at a time. Air India’s two aircrafts were destroyed by the terrorist attack in 2014. Its remaining 1 aircraft is parked in a grounded state near Jinnah International Airport’s graveyard.

Airblue has a fleet of 10 aircrafts. 5 of them are Airbus A320-200. 5 are Airbus A321-200. In addition to these, Airblue has ordered 2 more aircraft in 2019 that are Airbus A321neo. The Airbus A320-200 has an economy class that can seat 180 passengers at a time. The Airbus A321-200 can seat 220 passengers in economy class. Apart from these, Airbus A319-100, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A340-300, and ATR 72-600 were former fleet used by Airblue.

AirSial has a fleet size of 3 aircrafts as of February 2020. These aircraft are Airbus A320-200. These aircraft are taken on lease under a signed agreement with AerCap.

Frequent Flyer Program

Air Indus provided a frequent flyer program called as Indus Miles. This program offered various additional privileges to the frequent flyers. It included priority check-in, priority boarding, standby, extra baggage allowance, free award tickets, etc. This program could be availed a reward for travelling on Air Indus flights or for booking hotels, renting a car or dining out.

Airblue provides a frequent flyer program called as Blue Miles. Passengers can sign up for free at the base level. They earn the air miles by flying with Airblue and get upgraded to the Blue Card followed by the Platinum card.

AirSial will introduce its frequent flyer program after beginning its flying operations in 2020.

Facilities available

Airblue was the first airline in Pakistan to introduce e-ticketing, wireless check-in, and self-check-in kiosk. It has a unique ticket distribution system called  Sabre. Airblue also launched Blue Lounge International for its business class passengers, cardholders, and other privileged customers at Jinnah International Airport. This lounge offers internet facilities, television, massage chairs, a snack bar, newspapers, and magazines.

AirSial is expected to provide world-class top facilities to its crew and passengers. The founding members are of the view that AirSial will offer “an exceptional blend of flying experience with warm hospitality and service standards par excellence”.

Cease in operations/Accidents

Air Indus was forced to suspend its operations by the Civil Aviation Authority on 1 July 2015. The reason was that it didn’t fulfil the Pakistani legal requirements of 3 operating aircraft after their 2 aircrafts were damaged in a terrorist attack at Karachi Jinnah Airport in 2014. Later, it was announced that the airline would resume its operations from January 2016, but could never do so due to the unavailability of aircraft. Air Indus is eager to restart its operations with a little aid from China. It is planning to import three latest models of ATR 72-600.

Airblue is an active aviation service provider. One accident shook Airblue in 2010 when Airbus Flight 202 was flying from Karachi to Islamabad and it crashed into the Margara hills with 146 passengers and 6 crew on board. The aircraft was scheduled for an emergency landing in Benazir Bhutto International Airport due to poor weather conditions. All 152 travellers were killed in the crash.

AirSial has not yet started its operations. It is expected to provide services from 2020 onwards.

Choosing the Right Wings: What Really Matters to Passengers

When it comes to domestic flights in Pakistan, passengers are responsible for more than the ticket price. Quality of services, reliability, and overall comfort are factors they look at when deciding on their airline choice. Between Air Indus, Airblue, and AirSial, they each have distinctive identities, but are subject to the choice of priority.

Airblue has achieved the powerful brand image by building a hassle-free online experience and well-run operations. Its focus on innovation, i.e., auto-printing machines at check-in desks and online check-in/issued e-ticket, appeals to hi-tech travellers, who cherish user-friendliness. Recurring travellers have a higher perceived value in terms of Blue Miles scheme.

AirSial, being a new business venture, is also keenly watching those embracing change. Its strong business support within the Sialkot region has brought hope for increased levels of service and prudent management. It has individuals expecting that this airline will offer a superior, customer-oriented experience, balanced between luxury and cost.

Air Indus, now sitting idle, had once served to offer the crucial role of connecting secondary-tier towns with air. It’s a case of how competition and operationally demanding airline business can be in Pakistan.

Since air connectivity within Pakistan is improving rapidly, the airline sector is working to catch up with customer demands. A proper juxtaposition of carriers, from aircraft to customer facilities, will equip travelers with sharper choices about the flights they take. Whether it is Airblue’s newcomer status, AirSial’s dedication, or Air Indus’s legacy, every carrier is contributing to Pakistan’s growing flight saga.

Conclusion

With the joint effort of government and privately owned airlines, Pakistan’s aviation industry is surely on a boom. According to recent news, PIA is planning to operate direct, non-stop special flights to the USA. The aviation industry is doing its job of bringing back stranded people in the time of corona-virus pandemic very well. Is it true?