The Pakistani government has granted permission to Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to begin operations in the country.
Increasing flight convenience in Pakistan
A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation of Pakistan said that the country has resolved all legal matters with the United Arab Emirates. This will allow Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to start operating flights to and from Pakistan.
The spokesperson continued by saying that no response has been given by the government of the United Arab Emirates. The government of Pakistan, however, is trying to get permission from Wizz Air to assist in providing more convenience to those passengers traveling to and from the country.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi already operates an extensive set of routes from the city in the United Arab Emirates. Currently, the airline's network in the country operates 11 different routes to 10 different countries. These destinations include Alexandria, Egypt, Athens, Greece, and Yerevan, Armenia, among others.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has also operated the Airbus A321neo for these routes since the beginning of these operations. At the beginning of the Abu Dhabi operations, the Chairman of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Chief Executive of the Wizz Air Group said,
"Our state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures, will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travelers. Wizz Air is the lowest-cost producer operating the youngest and most economically efficient fleet of aircraft with the lowest environmental footprint. I’m confident Wizz Air will make a profound impact on the United Arab Emirates’ economic development and the ramp-up of its tourism industry."
This established network of routes will provide a large opportunity for Pakistani travelers to travel to Abu Dhabi or connect through its network.
Pakistan looks to recover the aviation market
Several airlines have struggled to fill seats in the aviation market amid the country's current foreign reserve crisis. Many airlines are looking at reducing or scaling back flights to Pakistan as it becomes more difficult to repatriate funds. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Asia-Pacific head, Philip Goh, commented on the situation, saying,
"Airlines are facing long delays before they are able to repatriate their funds. Some airlines still have funds stuck in Pakistan from sales in 2022."
Large carriers, like Emirates and Turkish Airlines, have stopped working with local travel agents, instead encouraging passengers to pay with credit cards. Emirates flights have been scaled back and are down 24% still from pre-pandemic levels. Saudia flights have also decreased by 17%. Four of the five leading foreign carriers in Pakistan are still operating fewer flights than in pre-pandemic times. This includes Emirates and Saudia, but also Air Arabia and Qatar Airways.