LAHORE:
Passenger traffic has fallen sharply at Pakistan’s airports amid growing tensions between Iran and the United States and rising jet fuel prices, with air activity at Allama Iqbal International Airport reduced to a trickle, limited largely to Hajj pilgrims and a small number of essential travelers.
Despite a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East, the aftermath continued to disrupt air operations.
The number of passengers for domestic and international travel has fallen from a few hundred thousand to just a few thousand, while airlines, both local and foreign, have reduced their flight operations by 40 to 50 percent.
Additionally, fare cuts have failed to revive demand as rising jet fuel prices have pushed ticket prices out of reach for many. Industry sources say airlines are increasingly canceling flights due to insufficient numbers of passengers.
“If operational costs cannot be covered, how can flights continue?” » remarked an airline source, highlighting the decline in consumer purchasing power. “People can barely afford daily necessities. How can they afford to travel by plane?
As a result, only those forced by necessity choose to fly, a stark contrast to earlier periods when flights sold out quickly.
According to Khawaja Ayub Naseem of the Travel Agents Association, although rising fuel prices have contributed to the slowdown, broader economic pressures have significantly weakened demand.
He said domestic fares have increased from Rs 50,000-70,000 for routes such as Lahore-Karachi return tickets to around Rs 30,000-40,000, but passenger numbers remain low.
He added that instability in Gulf countries and stricter visa policies, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai, have further reduced foreign travel, with visas now being issued in limited numbers.
The combined impact of geopolitical tensions, economic difficulties and restricted mobility has pushed Pakistan’s aviation sector to the brink of what industry insiders describe as the brink of collapse.
