Emirates Increasing Karachi Flights & to Seek Permission to Increase Islamabad and Lahore Flights

[rvlhassan]

These are all good developments. I hope increased capacity influences air fares to go down as well. Right now EK fares are exorbitantly high, TK is usually cheapest and QR fluctuates but is manageable.

Why not start auctioning airport gates to these aspirant foreign airlines ?

All due respect, but this is the exact attitude that prohibits growth in the aviation sector. It is overly cautious and protectionist views like these that ultimately damage rather than create growth.

I see where you are coming from, and in an ideal world I would agree with you. However, the fact of the matter is we are banned - and presumably for the foreseeable future - we remain banned from the EU. Pakistanis desperately need more connections to abroad and vice versa. As someone said earlier, we should be absolutely grateful that these airlines still operate in Pakistan, despite the lack of fund repatriation (and us being one of the worst offenders of this).

Regards

[faisal-777]

These are all good developments. I hope increased capacity influences air fares to go down as well. Right now EK fares are exorbitantly high, TK is usually cheapest and QR fluctuates but is manageable.

EK fares are indeed very high but it seems that even if there is increased capacity the fares remain high especially, for EK. For example, just noted EK's capacity from AMS is 3 daily flights however, seats are filled up only 80% in the lower season but fares remain the same. On average it leaves around 100 seats empty. QR drops fare as soon as it makes more capacity available and is more flexible in aircraft changes.

That shows QR overall has a better strategy, EK has better product which suits the customers, not the airline though.