Pakistanis opting for air travel: Report

With a growing middle-class and per-capita income, many Pakistanis are now opting for air travel rather than road or rail modes within the country, according to a media report today.
Domestic and international airlines operating from multiple airports under the open skies policy in Pakistan have transported around 20 million passengers last year, which is equivalent to about 10 per cent of the total population, The Express Tribune reported.
"Number of air travellers has increased 40 per cent in the last 5 years to 20 million people in Pakistan," Standard Chartered Pakistan Chief Executive Officer Shahzad Dada said at the launch of the Emirates Standard Chartered Credit Card yesterday.

The growth in air travellers is very much in line with the growing per capita income to around USD 1,700, he said.
"Air travelling has become more affordable (in Pakistan)," Emirates Vice President for Pakistan Jabr Al- Azeeby said at the event.
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2016-17, the per capita income has increased 6.4 per cent to USD 1,629 from USD 1,531 in the previous fiscal year 2016.

According to Euromonitor International, Pakistan has become home to a growing middle income group. The size of the middle class in Pakistan is estimated to surpass that of the UK and Italy during 2016-2021, it said.

One other reason for the increase in air travellers, according to civil aviation experts, is the significant drop in jet fuel prices and low inflation in recent years.
The drop in fuel price and inflation has helped airlines to at least maintain their fares.
According to sources at the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, some new players have also applied for acquiring rights to set up airlines in the country.
According to experts, air travelling would grow notably in Pakistan with formal completion of the infrastructure and power projects worth billions of dollars under the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor.