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

[Abbas Ali]

Pakistan was highlighted as a “core part” of Emirates’ growth strategy as the annual Arabian Travel Market concluded in Dubai on May 9.

Demand for outbound Pakistan-Dubai flights is very solid. Emirates is covering Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Sialkot.

Emirates wants to see more capacity being deployed especially out of northern Pakistan, while cities like Lahore and Islamabad too, can take more flights, as the demand is getting to a bottleneck situation

Emirates remains hopeful that access can be granted where the airline is able to provide capacity that meets the current demand.

Pakistan is one of the important regions that Emirates is focused on for 2024. The airline is increasing its flights out of Karachi and making sure it is doing well in Islamabad and Lahore also.

In the future, Emirates hopes to cover more destinations out of Pakistan.

Info source: https://epaper.brecorder.com/2024/05/11 ... -news.html

[Karachi Aviator]

Why even bother asking or seeking permission? Just throw in some Dirhams and the CAA will give them access to everything!

[danyal77W]

What increasing frequencies to Karachi? In other words, restoring back to pre-covid 5 daily flights or who knows 7 daily flights. They did 7 dailies as well at one time.

[faisal-777]

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

[haroon_ek]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

[b78709]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

TK can always reach out to PK and fly additional flights under PK call sign instead. PIA has lot of un-utilized frequencies for Istanbul (3x7x).

[faisal-777]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

Dont know about KHI but departure time of TK at ISB and LHE is way more convenient than EK/QR. At ISB it departs around 5am-6am and that is time when the high PAX load of QR/EK/EY/BA is already boarded and departed. You can reach airport even 2,5h before departure and be comfortably at gate in time.

Our inefficient airport handling seriously warrants all these widebody international flights to have minimum 90 minutes gap between departures although i understand too that could mean longer or nearly impossible transit times later.

[haroon_ek]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

Dont know about KHI but departure time of TK at ISB and LHE is way more convenient than EK/QR. At ISB it departs around 5am-6am and that is time when the high PAX load of QR/EK/EY/BA is already boarded and departed. You can reach airport even 2,5h before departure and be comfortably at gate in time.

Our inefficient airport handling seriously warrants all these widebody international flights to have minimum 90 minutes gap between departures although i understand too that could mean longer or nearly impossible transit times later.

I disagree.. staying awake for the whole night just to be at the airport at 2.45 a.m (at least) to catch the flight at 5.45 a.m to Istanbul which is 6 hour 45 min long is totally pain in the ****. That is the worse about TK flights......
Once I took the EY flight from Lahore at around 10 p.m and reached Milan at 7 a.m the next day. It was the best trip by far since I never had to keep myself awake to board a flight. The transit was less than 2 hours at AUH (old) which was reasonably manageable......

That's why a flight at 10-11 p.m of TK would enable passengers to take early morning flights (6-7 a.m) from IST would be perfect for passengers.

[faisal-777]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

Dont know about KHI but departure time of TK at ISB and LHE is way more convenient than EK/QR. At ISB it departs around 5am-6am and that is time when the high PAX load of QR/EK/EY/BA is already boarded and departed. You can reach airport even 2,5h before departure and be comfortably at gate in time.

Our inefficient airport handling seriously warrants all these widebody international flights to have minimum 90 minutes gap between departures although i understand too that could mean longer or nearly impossible transit times later.

I disagree.. staying awake for the whole night just to be at the airport at 2.45 a.m (at least) to catch the flight at 5.45 a.m to Istanbul which is 6 hour 45 min long is totally pain in the ****. That is the worse about TK flights......
Once I took the EY flight from Lahore at around 10 p.m and reached Milan at 7 a.m the next day. It was the best trip by far since I never had to keep myself awake to board a flight. The transit was less than 2 hours at AUH (old) which was reasonably manageable......

That's why a flight at 10-11 p.m of TK would enable passengers to take early morning flights (6-7 a.m) from IST would be perfect for passengers.

A flight departing 10-11PM would mean passengers would at average spend 4-7 hours as IST to catch onward connections. To my knowledge, unlike QR,EK, mainland Europe bound flights for TK depart between 9AM-1PM local time. if transit passengers arrive at IST around 5-6AM local time, they will have longer transit times (depends for some PAX it doesnt matter and for some it could be exhausting).

[haroon_ek]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

Dont know about KHI but departure time of TK at ISB and LHE is way more convenient than EK/QR. At ISB it departs around 5am-6am and that is time when the high PAX load of QR/EK/EY/BA is already boarded and departed. You can reach airport even 2,5h before departure and be comfortably at gate in time.

Our inefficient airport handling seriously warrants all these widebody international flights to have minimum 90 minutes gap between departures although i understand too that could mean longer or nearly impossible transit times later.

I disagree.. staying awake for the whole night just to be at the airport at 2.45 a.m (at least) to catch the flight at 5.45 a.m to Istanbul which is 6 hour 45 min long is totally pain in the ****. That is the worse about TK flights......
Once I took the EY flight from Lahore at around 10 p.m and reached Milan at 7 a.m the next day. It was the best trip by far since I never had to keep myself awake to board a flight. The transit was less than 2 hours at AUH (old) which was reasonably manageable......

That's why a flight at 10-11 p.m of TK would enable passengers to take early morning flights (6-7 a.m) from IST would be perfect for passengers.

A flight departing 10-11PM would mean passengers would at average spend 4-7 hours as IST to catch onward connections. To my knowledge, unlike QR,EK, mainland Europe bound flights for TK depart between 9AM-1PM local time. if transit passengers arrive at IST around 5-6AM local time, they will have longer transit times (depends for some PAX it doesnt matter and for some it could be exhausting).

A quick look at flightradar24 departure board for IST shows that these Europe bound flights for TK depart from 6.45 a.m local time, not 9 a.m - 1 p.m
Hence the flight slot at 10-11 p.m would be a popular choice given the flight connections provided by TK compared to EY/EK/QR/SA ...

Some examples:

Ljublana 6.45
Geneva 6.45
Prague 6.45
Bucharest 6.50
Zagreb 6.55
Dusseldorf 6.55
Paris 6.55
Lisbon 6.55
Dublin 6.55
Hamburg 7.00
Venice 7.00
Budapest 7.05
Naples 7.05
Cologne 7.05
Madrid 7.05
Luxembourg 7.10
Catania 7.10
Copenhagen 7.10
Lyon 7.10
Amsterdam 7.10
...
..
..
.
.
.
.

[baberblues]

In fact I would say one more TK slot for LHE, ISB, KHI where the flight lands in Pakistan at around 10-11 p.m and departs back for Istanbul at 1 am or so. The current timings of TK (i.e., departure at 5 a.m something) is too tiring.

Instead of granting Emirates extra slot at ISB, give one extra daily slot to TK - that will help passengers more.

Dont know about KHI but departure time of TK at ISB and LHE is way more convenient than EK/QR. At ISB it departs around 5am-6am and that is time when the high PAX load of QR/EK/EY/BA is already boarded and departed. You can reach airport even 2,5h before departure and be comfortably at gate in time.

Our inefficient airport handling seriously warrants all these widebody international flights to have minimum 90 minutes gap between departures although i understand too that could mean longer or nearly impossible transit times later.

I disagree.. staying awake for the whole night just to be at the airport at 2.45 a.m (at least) to catch the flight at 5.45 a.m to Istanbul which is 6 hour 45 min long is totally pain in the ****. That is the worse about TK flights......
Once I took the EY flight from Lahore at around 10 p.m and reached Milan at 7 a.m the next day. It was the best trip by far since I never had to keep myself awake to board a flight. The transit was less than 2 hours at AUH (old) which was reasonably manageable......

That's why a flight at 10-11 p.m of TK would enable passengers to take early morning flights (6-7 a.m) from IST would be perfect for passengers.

A flight departing 10-11PM would mean passengers would at average spend 4-7 hours as IST to catch onward connections. To my knowledge, unlike QR,EK, mainland Europe bound flights for TK depart between 9AM-1PM local time. if transit passengers arrive at IST around 5-6AM local time, they will have longer transit times (depends for some PAX it doesnt matter and for some it could be exhausting).

A quick look at flightradar24 departure board for IST shows that these Europe bound flights for TK depart from 6.45 a.m local time, not 9 a.m - 1 p.m
Hence the flight slot at 10-11 p.m would be a popular choice given the flight connections provided by TK compared to EY/EK/QR/SA ...

Some examples:

Ljublana 6.45
Geneva 6.45
Prague 6.45
Bucharest 6.50
Zagreb 6.55
Dusseldorf 6.55
Paris 6.55
Lisbon 6.55
Dublin 6.55
Hamburg 7.00
Venice 7.00
Budapest 7.05
Naples 7.05
Cologne 7.05
Madrid 7.05
Luxembourg 7.10
Catania 7.10
Copenhagen 7.10
Lyon 7.10
Amsterdam 7.10
...
..
..
.
.
.
.

How many Pakistanis actually live in the destinations you mentioned, the market is not there for the airline to run at an 11pm time slot. Majority of passengers from Pakistan going west of the middle east, are UK bound and apart from maybe a london flight, there are no other UK cities during those times.

[faisal-777]

As baberblues said, only destinations where i can think of substantial number of PK diaspora from this list are in bold:

Ljublana 6.45
Geneva 6.45
Prague 6.45
Bucharest 6.50
Zagreb 6.55
Dusseldorf 6.55
Paris 6.55
Lisbon 6.55
Dublin 6.55
Hamburg 7.00
Venice 7.00
Budapest 7.05
Naples 7.05
Cologne 7.05
Madrid 7.05
Luxembourg 7.10
Catania 7.10
Copenhagen 7.10
Lyon 7.10
Amsterdam 7.10

[haroon_ek]

I don't have time to write all the European destinations list here, I just had proved my point of mainland Europe flights..... you can check the destinations in your free time.

All Pakistani expats do not live only in UK, or middle east... I personally know many who take flights from here in Italy from Bologna or Venice or Milan Bergamo or Milan Malpensa... Now Turin is being also served by Turkish... Same goes for south of Italy, Rome, Napoli.....
Germany has so many Pakistani expats living, then Copenhagen... Amsterdam... and so on..

you can do your research if you wish....

[baberblues]

I don't have time to write all the European destinations list here, I just had proved my point of mainland Europe flights..... you can check the destinations in your free time.

All Pakistani expats do not live only in UK, or middle east... I personally know many who take flights from here in Italy from Bologna or Venice or Milan Bergamo or Milan Malpensa... Now Turin is being also served by Turkish... Same goes for south of Italy, Rome, Napoli.....
Germany has so many Pakistani expats living, then Copenhagen... Amsterdam... and so on..

you can do your research if you wish....

No i get the point you are making but you have to look at the overall bigger picture here, there may be a few thousand pakistani diaspora in italy, but say for example, there is much higher diaspora in the Netherlands. You cant go and ruin your profits to operate to a place with less demand (not that it matters with super connector airlines) but there isnt the same demand volume of European flights than there are flights to the UK.

PIA's bread and butter is the UK.

[Badar42]

It's all good blaming government for taking dirhams in return of Emirates flights etc etc but how else are we supposed to travel to and from Pakistan.Even if pia starts operating tomorrow with sane numbers if flights before they were banned ,it wont be anywhere near enough to cater for everyone.Other Pakistani airlines can't sustain flights to EU or UK or further. Instead of putting a cap on ME airlines we need more airlines operating to Pakistan to break their monopoly.
Secondly I think only thing stopping Turkish from operating extra flights is Turkish itself ,with recent revised codeshare they can put extra flights whenever they want to