LAHORE:
Passenger traffic has dropped sharply at airports across Pakistan amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States and rising jet fuel prices, and aviation activity at Allama Iqbal International Airport has slowed to a trickle, largely limited to Hajj pilgrims and a small number of essential travelers.
Despite a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East, the fallout has continued to disrupt aviation operations.
Passenger numbers for both domestic and international travel have fallen from hundreds of thousands to just a few thousand, while airlines, both local and foreign, have cut their flight operations by 40 to 50 percent.
Additionally, fare reductions have failed to revive demand, as rising jet fuel costs have pushed ticket prices out of reach for many. Industry sources say airlines are increasingly canceling flights due to insufficient passenger loads.
“If operating costs cannot be covered, how can flights continue?” commented an airline source, pointing to declining purchasing power among consumers. “People can barely afford daily necessities. How can they afford to travel by plane?”
As a result, only those forced by necessity are choosing to fly, a stark contrast to previous periods when flights sold out quickly.
According to Khawaja Ayub Naseem of the Association of Travel Agents, while higher fuel costs have contributed to the slowdown, broader economic pressures have significantly weakened demand.
He said domestic fares have fallen from Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 for routes such as return tickets between Lahore and Karachi to around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000, but passenger numbers remain low.
He added that instability in the 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 strains and restricted mobility has brought Pakistan’s aviation sector to what industry experts describe as the brink of collapse.
