Fly Jinnah has taken the top spot in terms of domestic passenger numbers

In Pakistan’s domestic aviation sector, Fly Jinnah has surpassed other local airlines by facilitating travel for the highest number of passengers. According to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data for the 2024-25 fiscal year, Fly Jinnah ranked first, followed by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in second place, and Airblue in third.

Fly Jinnah Leads in Domestic Passenger Numbers

According to the CAA, Fly Jinnah transported 1.967 million domestic passengers to their destinations over the course of the year. PIA ranked second with 1.851 million passengers, while 1.004 million people traveled domestically via Airblue.

AirSial also made a significant contribution to the domestic aviation sector, carrying 813,000 passengers.

37 Airlines Providing Air Services in Pakistan

Available data indicates that a total of 37 airlines are currently operating in Pakistan—comprising 5 Pakistani carriers and 32 foreign airlines.

Domestic carriers include Fly Jinnah, PIA, Airblue, AirSial, and South Air. Meanwhile, SereneAir has ceased its flight operations as of October 2025.

Emirates Leads in International Flights

Emirates holds the largest share of the market for passengers traveling from Pakistan to international destinations. This airline operates 39 weekly flights from Pakistan, while Saudi Airlines operates 30, and Etihad Airways operates 23.

Emirates also operates 7 daily flights from Karachi. Qatar Airways currently runs 28 weekly flights from Pakistan.

A Major Share of Revenue for Foreign Airlines

According to statistics, between 15 million and 16 million passengers travel annually within Pakistan’s international air travel market. Emirates is estimated to hold an 18 to 20 percent share of this market.

Estimates suggest that Emirates sells approximately $1.2 billion worth of air tickets from Pakistan annually—a figure that does not include revenue generated from cargo operations.

Annual revenue from Pakistan is estimated at $800–$900 million for Qatar Airways, and between $700–$750 million for Saudi Airlines.

The Need to Increase the Share of Domestic Airlines

Approximately two-thirds of the revenue generated from the sale of international air tickets in Pakistan goes to foreign airlines. Given this situation, there is an emphasis on the need to enhance the capacity of domestic airlines and strengthen their market presence.

According to the Competition Commission of Pakistan, the country must strengthen its own airlines; otherwise, a significant portion of the revenue generated from international air travel will continue to flow abroad.