ISLAMABAD: Aviation experts and an official on Saturday questioned the commercial viability of the move as the Punjab government said it had acquired a Gulfstream luxury aircraft as part of “Air Punjab,” an upcoming airline registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) but yet to secure key regulatory approvals.
The development comes months after the federal government moved ahead with the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), citing its inability to sustainably run the debt-ridden national carrier.
Air Punjab (Private) Limited was incorporated with the SECP on July 24, 2025, under registration number 0302317. The concept was first introduced by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in April 2025, with plans to launch operations within a year using leased aircraft. The provincial cabinet subsequently approved the airline’s establishment. However, an official told Arab News that the project remains at a preliminary stage.
“They have not got their license yet,” the official in the aviation department told Arab News on condition of anonymity, adding the airline still has to go through processes to be able to start operations.
The aircraft in question, a Gulfstream G500, registration N144S, arrived in Lahore from North America in December 2025 and began local flight operations on February 6, 2026. Online flight records show the jet was used at least 15 times between February 9 and February 18 for short trips to cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Dera Ghazi Khan and Faisalabad, with flight durations ranging from 14 to 37 minutes. It frequently used the call sign “Punjab 2.”
