The people of Balochistan continue to face severe travel hardships as flight shortages and skyrocketing airfares have made air travel once a necessity due to unsafe roads an unaffordable luxury for many. Despite multiple airlines operating within Pakistan, only a limited number fly to Quetta, forcing residents to pay some of the highest domestic fares in the country.Senior Vice President of the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce, Akhtar Kakar, has filed a petition in the Balochistan High Court against the increasing airfares and shortage of flights to the province.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the court issued show-cause notices to the CEO of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and officials from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for failing to appear despite explicit instructions.
Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech also directed the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to submit a detailed report explaining why the number of flights to Balochistan remains disproportionately low and why fares continue to surge.
Akhtar Kakar said that although five airlines operate in Pakistan, only two operate flights to Quetta. According to him, Balochistan’s residents have no choice but to rely on air travel because road journeys remain unsafe, and train and bus services frequently shut down due to security concerns.
He highlighted the glaring disparity in airfare prices: a two-hour flight from Islamabad to Karachi costs around Rs 30,000, while a one-hour flight from Quetta to Islamabad costs between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 and sometimes exceeds Rs 100,000. If ordinary people cannot afford it anymore, imagine the situation for traders,.he lamented.
Kakar described the province as having turned into a large prison, where traveling to other cities or provinces has become as difficult as breaking out of jail. He urged the government and courts to end what he called discriminatory treatment toward the people of Balochistan and ensure more flights are made available so that residents can travel safely and affordably for education, healthcare, and business.
According to Kakar, airlines operate up to ten flights a day to other major cities, yet some carriers do not operate even a single flight to Balochistan. He argued that this violates Articles 8, 9, 18, and 25 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality and prohibit discrimination against citizens.
This is not the first time airfare prices in Balochistan have surged. Earlier in March, prolonged closure of national highways due to protests pushed fares to record highs, with flights from Quetta to Karachi and Islamabad reaching nearly Rs 100,000.While demand for travel in the province continues to grow, the supply of flights remains critically low.
At present, Quetta reportedly receives only a single flight on certain routes a number far too small to meet the needs of the population.Residents and business leaders alike hope that judicial intervention will compel the authorities and airlines to address what they view as long-standing neglect, and restore affordable, reliable air travel to Balochistan.
