South Air
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| Founded | 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commenced operations | November 2025 | ||||||
| Hubs | Jinnah International Airport, Islamabad International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 2 | ||||||
| Destinations | 12 | ||||||
| Parent company | SOS Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Karachi, Pakistan | ||||||
| Website | southair | ||||||
South Air (Pvt.) Limited is a Pakistani private regional airline headquartered in Karachi, operating under the Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) licensing framework of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
History
[edit]Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority introduced the TPRI licence category under the National Aviation Policy 2019 to encourage private-sector entry into regional air travel markets not served by existing scheduled carriers.[citation needed] South Air obtained a TPRI licence from the PCAA and an Air Operator Certificate (AOC),[1] and has separately applied for a Regular Public Transport (RPT) licence.[2] The airline is backed by SOS Group.
South Air was formally inaugurated on 24 November 2025 at a ceremony in Multan attended by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, then Senate Chairman and Acting President of Pakistan.[3] At the ceremony, partnership agreements were signed with Pakistan International Airlines for maintenance, repair, and overhaul services and with Pakistan State Oil for fuelling.[4]
In May 2026, South Air received its first aircraft, an ATR 72-500 leased from Jump Air registered as LY-JUA.[5] In the same month, South Air received their second ATR 72-600 from Manta Air registered as 8Q-RAY.[citation needed]
In May 2026, South Air conducted trial flights ahead of the planned expansion of scheduled services, operating proving flights to Gwadar and Quetta.[2]
Operations
[edit]South Air's network covers Karachi, Gwadar, Rahim Yar Khan, Panjgur, Turbat, Quetta, Zhob, Sukkur, Multan, Islamabad with Skardu and Gilgit also listed as a planned destination.[2][6] Planned routes to northern Pakistan include two daily services to Gilgit, Chitral, and Skardu, operating initially from Islamabad and Lahore.[7]
Nishat Fatima serves as Chief Executive Officer and Ejaz Mahmood Malik, a retired Air Vice Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force, as Chief Operating Officer.[3] The airline's own account of its inauguration described Fatima as the first woman in Pakistan to lead an airline.[4]
Destinations
[edit]As of July 2026[update], South Air flies to the following destinations:
Fleet
[edit]The South Air fleet as of June 2026 consists of the following aircraft:[14]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-500 | 1 | 0 | Wet leased from Jump Air |
| ATR 72-600 | 1 | 0 | Wet leased from Manta Air |
| ATR 42 | - | 1 | Planned [15] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "South Air Secures AOC, Nears Flight Launch". bloompakistan.com. Bloom Pakistan. 25 April 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "نئی پاکستانی ایئر لائن ساؤتھ ایئر آج سے ٹیسٹ فلائٹ کا آغاز کرے گی". express.pk (in Urdu). Express News. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Gilani inaugurates South Air, calls new airline milestone for regional connectivity". app.com.pk. Associated Press of Pakistan. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Chairman Senate and Acting President Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Inaugurates South Air". southair.com.pk. South Air. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ "New airline South Air brings first aircraft to Pakistan". mettisglobal.news. Mettis. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "South Air". South Air. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ "New airline South Air set to launch flights to Pakistan's northern areas". samaa.tv. Samaa TV. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ dawn, Acorrespodent (15 July 2026). "First private airline to start operations in RY Khan". Dawn. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 3 Khattak, Arsalan (11 July 2026). "South Air Announces Flights Between Three Major Pakistani Cities". arabnews.pk. propakistani.pk. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ "South Air's inaugural flights from Karachi depart for Quetta, Islamabad: PAA". dawn.com. dawn.com. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ "South Air launches scheduled domestic flights from Karachi". brerecorder.com. brerecorder.com. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ PPI (20 July 2026). "South Air begins flights from Sukkur". Brecorder. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ Gwadar, Des. "South Air Launches First Flight to Gwadar".
- ↑ "South Air's first ATR 72-500 aircraft arrives in Pakistan". dunyanews.tv. Dunya News. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- ↑ Abbasi, Waseem (4 June 2026). "Pakistan Senate panel backs new airline South Air in dispute over northern routes". arabnews.pk. Arab News PK. Retrieved 4 June 2026.