ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is currently unable to operate daily flights on the Karachi–Turbat route due to market demand and fleet limitations, despite concerns raised about insufficient flight frequency. Responding to a question by Senator Jan Muhammad, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that PIA presently operates four flights a week on the Turbat–Karachi sector—on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday—in line with passenger demand and the airline’s commercial considerations. The senator had asked why PIA was operating flights after gaps of one or two days despite “sufficient number of passengers” on the route, and when daily service could be expected. Dr Chaudhry informed the House that “considering market demand and fleet availability, daily flight operation is not advisable at this stage.” He noted that the national carrier must balance operational costs with commercial viability when determining flight schedules. However, the minister added that the route could be reviewed for possible expansion. “Based on fleet availability and commercial viability, this route can be re-evaluated for increased frequency in the future,” he said. DNA
