AERO ASIA INTERNATIONAL, LTD.: 43-J, Block-6, PECHS, Karachi, 75400, Pakistan, Phone 92 (21) 435 980; Fax 92 (21) 455 569; Http://www. aeroasia. net; Code E4; Year Founded 1993. With financial backing from the textile-trading-chemical concern Tabani Corporation, Ltd., AAIL is established at Karachi on May 6, 1993 to offer both passenger and cargo scheduled services. Former Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIA) executive Ashfaq A. Jan is appointed CEO and is provided with 4 Rombac (BAC) 1-11-561RCs wet-leased from Tarom (Transporturile Aeriene Romane, S. A.). Revenue operations commence on May 6 and link the company’s base twice daily with Faisalabad, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar. Traffic and financial figures are not available.
The fleet is increased to 6 BACs in 1994, along with a Boeing 707-320C, also chartered from Tarom (Transporturile Aeriene Romane, S. A.). Flight deck crews consist of 35 Romanian captains and 15 Pakistani first officers, with all cabin crews Pakistani. By government decree, a money-losing service is initiated to Pasni, a small community on the Arabian Sea in Sindh Province. At year’s end, plans are made for a courier service, which will be introduced as “Aero Asia Express.” Neither traffic nor financial results are released for the first complete year; however, fiscal losses are reportedly sustained.
Overnight BAC 1-11 “Aero Asia Express” services are inaugurated in June 1995 between all of the nation’s major cities. In preparation for future services into the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union, a BAC 1-11 undertakes a proving flight on August 22 between Karachi and Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Dedicated “Aero Asia Express” services commence in February 1996 between Lahore and Islamabad and passenger services are inaugurated from Karachi-Multan onto Lahore.
Destinations visited in 1997-2000 include Bishkek, Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Pasni, and Peshawar. The largest private airline in Pakistan becomes a member of the SABRE computerized reservations system’s global seat distribution system on August 1 of the former year.
The company now operates 26 daily flights to 7 destinations in Pakistan as well as Dubai.
World History
