On Monday, Khawaja Asif, the Minister for Defence, Defence Production, and Aviation, informed the National Assembly that the process of privatizing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to be completed by the end of October.
In response to a notice concerning the extended closure of Hyderabad airport for commercial flights, Asif stated that resuming PIA flights on this route is not financially viable at the moment. He attributed this to PIA’s significant debt, amounting to Rs. 800 billion, which makes certain routes unfeasible for operation.
When asked about private airlines, Asif mentioned that the government would welcome any private entity interested in operating from Hyderabad airport.