Air Arabia on Friday announced a joint venture with Pakistan’s Lakson Group to launch a low-cost airline, Fly Jinnah.
The proposed venture aims to set up a budget airline servicing domestic routes within Pakistan as well as international.
Air Arabia has not yet announced the launch date and destination network but sources quoted in the Khaleej Times expect it to be early next year.
Chairperson of Air Arabia, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, said Fly Jinnah will be Karachi based first before expanding to international routes.
“We are confident that Fly Jinnah will add value to the air transport sector of Pakistan and directly contribute to the local economy through job creation and the development of the travel and tourism sector,” Sheikh Abdullah said in a statement.
Although the development has been welcomed by the prime minister and other high profile advisors connected to the government, there's been criticism of using the founder's name for the airline.
Many have said the name is in poor taste.
It's also given trolls an opportunity to poke fun at the name.
Fly Jinnah will join SereneAir and Air Sial as the most recent private airlines to fly Pakistan's skies. Air Blue remains the oldest airline in the private sector.