PIA Islamabad-Swat service, an abort after takeoff in the making

CHITRAL: PIA has announced starting air service between Islamabad and Swat. Swat is at a time distance of two and half hours from Islamabad by road. Looking at the practicability of the subject flight, it takes one hour from Islamabad to reach the airport. Passengers have to reach the airport two hours prior to departure. It then takes about an hour to reach Swat city form Swat airport after undergoing all the airport exit procedures. Considering all these facts, how is it feasible to operate flights between Islamabad and Swat? and that two twice a week and hope the service would be feasible. Looks like we have lost our sense of logical thinking and we just refuse to learn from past mistakes. The same flight was started by PPP govt during Benazir tenure, when the roads were shabby and lengthy. It did not work then, how will it work now when we have a motorway going there, and taking only 2.5 hours to reach there.? Imagine the cost of activating an airport. Who is going to pay for this utter waste of public money? Of course it will be the poor people.

Pakistan is going no where with these kind of wreckless, unfeasible, whimsical decisions ( which unfortunately are in abundance). We need to think about it seriously.  .. CN report, 23 Mar 2021

5 thoughts on “PIA Islamabad-Swat service, an abort after takeoff in the making

  1. Swati representatives even make the government launch expensive unfeasible projects like the Islamabad-Saidu air service. Our representatives on the other hand have failed to even keep the tunnel open like all other tunnels. What to talk of expecting anything big from them. We are definitely lagging in something. What is that? is upto the intelligentsia to ponder over and answer.

  2. This flight service has more purpose and economic feasibility if it is used mostly by people coming in originating from someplace other than Islamabad. These would be Karachi and other cities in Pakistan and abroad. The area served by Swat Airport has long been known for its scenic beauty arts and culture. Swat was previously a resort bringing in people from the Gulf states and with Malala a Swati in the awareness of the West could be even larger.

    1. You are right. It would make sense if the flight was direct from Karachi to Swat or at least Lahore to Swat. From Islamabad it is easier and quicker to travel by road than this flight service.

  3. The fear is that very soon when they don’t have enough passengers for Saidu, they will combine the flight with Chitral flight and Chitralis will take it lying low.

  4. “To open a shop is easy, to keep it open not so much” .. Chinese Proverb
    Nonetheless, let us hope for the best.

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