South Air First Flight Takes Off, Launches Turbat Route

SOUTH AIR – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – South Air first flight took off on Thursday, marking the official start of a new airline Pakistan 2026 has been waiting for. The private carrier launched two routes on the same day. One flight went from Karachi to Quetta through Turbat. The other connected Karachi to Islamabad through Bahawalpur.

This launch is a big deal for small cities. Many towns in Pakistan lost their flights over the years. Big airlines usually focus on Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad only. Smaller airports get left behind. South Air wants to change that.

The South Air Turbat route brings back an important link for Balochistan. Turbat is the main business center of the Makran region. Road travel there can be risky, so flights matter a lot. Now people can skip long, unsafe drives and fly instead.

The Quetta flight also had a special welcome. When the plane landed, it received a traditional water cannon salute. This is a common way to honor a new flight route. Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail was there to see it happen. The Pakistan Airports Authority shared a video of the arrival online.

The Bahawalpur flight is just as important. That city had no scheduled flights for a while. Pakistan International Airlines stopped flying there before its privatization plans began. Now, thanks to South Air, Bahawalpur is connected to the capital again.

According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, South Air will fly the Turbat route once a week. The Bahawalpur to Islamabad flight will run three times a week. It is a modest start, but airlines often grow their schedules over time.

South Air is not just any airline. It works under a special category called the Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration License. This license was made to help small, private airlines serve places that bigger airlines ignore. The goal is simple: give more people access to safe and fast travel.

The airline uses the ATR 72-500 aircraft. This plane is small but strong. It works well at smaller airports that cannot handle bigger jets. Pakistani media reported in May that South Air received its first ATR 72-500. Test flights to Gwadar and Quetta followed soon after.

One more detail makes South Air special. It is led by CEO Nishat Fatima. She holds a unique title, too. The airline says she is the first woman in Pakistan to lead an airline. Her leadership adds a new chapter to the country’s aviation story.

This launch shows a shift in how Pakistan is thinking about air travel. Instead of only chasing profit on busy routes, South Air is choosing to connect ignored regions. If this model works, other cities may get similar service. For now, people in Turbat, Quetta, Bahawalpur, and Islamabad have something to celebrate. A new airline Pakistan 2026 introduced is finally giving them the sky back.