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Airblue to launch flights to Abu Dhabi and Muscat

KARACHI - Pakistan's largest private carrier, Airblue has received permission from Abu Dhabi and Oman aviation authorities to operate regular flights from Lahore to Abu Dhabi and Muscat international airports.

Diclosing the details, Airblue Managing Director, Syed Nasir Ali, told Khaleej Times on Friday that the inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi using A319 aircraft will be from August 24, 2008.

Airblue also got the go-ahead to operate three weekly flights to Muscat from Lahore and the operation on this sector will start from September

15, 2008. Like Abu Dhabi, A319 aircraft will be used on Lahore-Muscat sector.

"We have decided to have our hub at Lahore for A319s operations to Abu Dhabi and Muscat flights. The first of the two A319s is due to be delivered to us on Saturday and the other one few days later", added Ali.

Airblue currently operates services to Dubai from Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi and have long-term plans to increase the frequency to these

destinations in future.

The airline earlier had been given permission to operate regular commercial flights to Sharjah from Lahore and Peshawar, but later it was withdrawn by Sharjah government aviation authority demanding Airblue to provide certain documents.

Airblue spent millions of rupees on the launch of the operation and the carrier was to operate seven weekly flights starting on the auspicious day of August 14, 2008.

The withdrawal forced Airblue to seek other alternatives to utilise the newly acquired A319s and it successfuly persuaded Abu Dhabi and Oman

aviation regulators for landing rights.

"Airblue management is thankful to Abu Dhabi and Oman aviation authorities in acceding to its requests and hope to have a long and fruitful relationship", added Ali.