Trade Chronicle Nov - Dec - 2020 issue

TRADE CHRONICLE
PM Imran Khan inaugurates Air Sial
during day-long visit to Sialkot
Prime Minister Imran Khan has
inaugurated Air Sial, the third private
airline of Pakistan, which was
introduced and will be operated by
Sialkot’s business community.
Accompanied by federal ministers
Hammad Azhar, Ghulam Sarwar,
Adviser Razzak Dawood, Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister Usman
Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar
Usman Buzdar and Special Assistant
to Punjab CM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan,
the prime minister cut the ribbon to
launch the airline which will initially
operate domestically.
for Industries Azhar
and special adviser
Dawood for keeping
in touch with the
business community and keeping the
government informed of the challenges
being faced by businessmen.
With its current fleet of three Airbus
A320-200s, Air Sial will operate
flights to and from Sialkot, Islamabad,
Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.
Air Sial, a licensed airline, is the
brainchild of members of the Sialkot
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
who launched the project after the
success of their earlier initiative, the
Sialkot International Airport Ltd.
Air Sial’s vice chairman Fazal Jilani
had earlier told Dawn by telephone that
soon after its inauguration by the prime
minister, the airline would start selling
its tickets.
The privately owned airline was granted
permission to run its operations by the
Aviation Division in 2017. It also plans
to launch flights to foreign destinations.
Speaking to the business community
after the inauguration ceremony, the
prime minister said that the airline
was an “excellent initiative” which will
create much-needed competition for
the Pakistan International Airlines.
Furthermore, it will benefit the business
community in Sialkot, which the premier
believed was on its way to becoming
“Pakistan’s centre of exports”.
“When you told me of this [project],
I had no doubt that it would benefit
Pakistan in every way,” PM Imran said.
He congratulated the Sialkot
community for building an airport with
funds collected from the city alone and
expressed hope that the businessmen
will run the airline efficiently.
He noted that Pakistan’s economy, like
the rest of the world, had suffered due
to the coronavirus pandemic and said
that even though there was pressure
to impose a blanket lockdown, the
government managed to protect
people’s livelihoods and lives.
“This was a very difficult task as there
was constant criticism directed at me
for not imposing a blanket lockdown.
It is sad that the same opposition that
criticised me for not imposing a blanket
lockdown [...] is now holding public
meetings and gatherings even though
corona cases are rising,” the prime
minister said.
He said that if the country gets through
the second wave safely, it would be able
to protect its people and businesses.
The premier commended Minister
TRADE CHRONICLE - Nov - Dec - 2020 - Page # 7