Quetta: In Balochistan, deteriorating security conditions and restrictions on land travel have forced residents to increasingly rely on air travel, leading to a sharp rise in airfare. Ordinary citizens, patients, and business travelers are struggling with the soaring costs of flights.
Salman Ahmed, a resident of Quetta, said that tickets to Islamabad, which normally cost between PKR 18,000 and 20,000, now cannot be booked for less than PKR 50,000. “My relatives had come to attend a wedding in Quetta and now need to return, but train services are suspended and bus travel is prohibited at night. Even during the day, road travel is unsafe. Air travel is the only option, but the skyrocketing fares make it nearly impossible,” he added.
Haji Rehmatullah Achakzai, owner of a local travel agency in Quetta, attributed the rise in fares to increased demand and limited flight availability. “From Quetta, Fly Jinnah operates daily flights to Islamabad and Karachi. PIA has only three to four flights per week, while Sirin Air operates just one weekly flight. With worsening security in recent days, more people are choosing air travel, pushing prices even higher,” he explained.
According to Achakzai, just a few weeks ago, Islamabad-bound tickets could be purchased for PKR 20,000, but current fares do not drop below PKR 50,000. Last-minute bookings can cost PKR 70,000 to 80,000 for a single journey. The flight duration from Quetta to Islamabad is approximately 90 minutes.
Another traveler, Ata-ur-Rehman, shared his experience: “I had to travel from Islamabad to Quetta on short notice. The bus journey takes 15 to 16 hours, so I had no choice but to purchase a one-way ticket for PKR 88,000.”
The rising reliance on air travel comes after a series of violent incidents on Balochistan’s highways and trains. In recent months, there have been attacks on passenger buses, killings of travelers, and assaults on trains. Following a bomb attack on the Jafar Express traveling from Quetta to Peshawar at Dasht Spizand in Mastung on Sunday, Pakistan Railways suspended train services in Balochistan until August 14.
The Jafar Express was previously hijacked in March while traveling from Quetta to Peshawar via Lahore and Rawalpindi, leaving more than 30 passengers dead. Despite tightened security measures, at least three attacks on the train have occurred since then. Meanwhile, due to attacks on inter-provincial buses, authorities have banned bus travel after 5 p.m., pushing citizens toward air travel.
The surge in airfare has severely affected ordinary citizens as well as the business community. Nadar Khan, a Quetta-based trader, said, “Tickets from Quetta to Karachi or Islamabad, previously costing around PKR 20,000, have skyrocketed multiple times. Even people traveling for medical or essential reasons are now forced to spend hundreds of thousands on round trips.”
This is not the first time that airfares in Balochistan have spiked. In March, repeated road closures due to protests drove ticket prices to record levels, with flights from Quetta to Karachi or Islamabad reaching PKR 100,000. The Balochistan Assembly passed a resolution condemning the fares, and the National Assembly also raised the issue. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Aviation Ministry, urging the resumption of all major airline services to Quetta, capping fares, and ending monopolistic practices.
Mirwais Kakar, Vice President of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the recurring problem: “Airlines start flights to Balochistan when they obtain licenses, but once operations begin, they either reduce or cancel flights to the province. Currently, many airlines do not operate any flights to Balochistan at all.”
According to the Ministry of Defence, Balochistan currently has 84 weekly flights: 20 weekly flights on the Karachi-Quetta route, 30 on Islamabad-Quetta, and 12 on Lahore-Quetta. In March 2025, average fares on Fly Jinnah were PKR 33,000 for Karachi and PKR 25,000 for Islamabad. During Eid, tickets reportedly reached PKR 100,000, raising complaints about exploitation of citizens’ urgency. Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Zaeem Jafar, assured investigations into any fares above PKR 36,000.
Travel agents in Quetta have also noted that PIA has been charging excessively, despite public scrutiny. While the National Aviation Policy 2023 allows airlines to set fares based on demand, supply, and market competition, the government has assured the National Assembly that efforts would be made to increase flights to Balochistan.
Chief Minister Balochistan, Sarfaraz Bugti, also wrote to the Prime Minister regarding the issue, but the situation remains unresolved, leaving residents with limited options and increasingly expensive airfares.
Credit: Zain Uddin – Urdu News
