PIA directed to start flights between Skardu, Gilgit

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court has directed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Civil Aviation Authority (ACC) to start flight operations between Gilgit and Skardu airports on urgent basis.

The court also served show case notice on two private airlines -- Shaheen Air and Airblue -- for not appearing for the hearing of suo motu notice taken by the court over not operating flights between Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.

During hearing of the case in Supreme Appellate Court registry branch Skardu on Tuesday, a division bench comprising Chief Judge Rana Muhammad Shamim and justice Raja Jalaludin observed that flight service between Gilgit and Skardu airports remained non-operational despite the directives of the court.

The court showed annoyance over noncompliance of its order, issued earlier this year. The bench ordered PIA and ACC authorities to submit reply about flight service schedule between the two cities till next hearing.

The manager of Skardu Airport and Civil Aviation Authority representative Obaidur Rehman Abbasi told the court that passengers were not available for flights between Skardu and Gilgit therefore PIA could not start air service.

The chief judge observed that it was up to PIA to create awareness among people and facilitate people to travel through the flights.

Published in Dawn October 1st, 2015

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Pakistan

Jamil Nagri is a Gilgit-Baltistan-based correspondent for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. His reporting and feature writing focus on CPEC, climate change, the environment, and adventure tourism. He can be found on X at @jamilnagri.

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sarosh

Oct 01, 2015 11:41am

good step. the pvt operators in hidden collaboration with the ministry and CAA are not doing their duty for flights from all sectors as in contract earlier.

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javed Hasrat

Oct 01, 2015 11:45am

yes good step taken by court, CAA passenger are available there you have to reduce fares of PIA for just 45 minutes journey while for 90 minutes journey for Karachi to Islamabad has same fares. it is injustice with us ,we travel viva bus with put our lives in dangers.

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Talha Shafi

Oct 01, 2015 11:46am

Measures should be taken to market these beautiful places like Gilgit and Skardu on social and print media for awareness to attract more and more visitors over there which eventually result in image building of the Country.

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TARIQ

Oct 01, 2015 12:55pm

Would highly appreciate if the Honor'able court look into the ticketing mechanism for Gilgit. Getting an air ticket and flight to Gilgit is harder than climbing the majestic peaks of Gilgit-Baltistan.

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Waqar

Oct 01, 2015 01:07pm

The courts clearly have no clue how airline business works, and it should not be their concern either. Smaller routes, especially ones without technical ground support are expensive and impractical.

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murtaza bhai

Oct 01, 2015 01:08pm

of course PIA should reduce fare b/w islamabad to skardu & gilgit route cuz islamabad to karachi distance is twice than skardu route but there are same fares thiz iz not justice while its is very dangerous and risk full flight For GBins ATR plane life operations already completed but its on service after terms and conditions Atr plane should be shuttered CAA should take action on this dilemmas situation of GB travelers..

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Oct 01, 2015 01:55pm

I m amazed Gilgit and Skardu are not connected to Islamabad and other big cities by air. Is Muree even a hill station compared to these breathtaking places ?

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Saad(DXB)

Oct 01, 2015 03:01pm

Shaheen Airlines and Air Blue are privately held entities. What business does the GB court have to instruct them to operate flights on these routes? Tomorrow, a court might order any other private business to do whatever it pleases. This is a very dangerous precedent, and CJ of Supreme Court of Pakistan should take immediate suo moto notice to strike down GB court's orders to the private airlines.

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javed hasrat

Oct 01, 2015 03:13pm

@Waqar poin to ponder, where you lived......!! if this cruel PIA reduce fare upto 50% then every GBains travel viva flight.don't imposed such silly business rule here in dirty politics.

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Farooq

Oct 01, 2015 04:36pm

I bet the Judges were annoyed because they had to travel by road. PIA cant start its flights to carry these HONOURABLE JUDGES, hence and forth.

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Tabish Haider

Oct 01, 2015 06:37pm

@Saad: As per licence issued to Private Airlines, they are legally bounded to operate their air service to every destination of Pakistan & or all routes. Read Licensed agreement

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Inayat Hussain

Oct 01, 2015 08:20pm

@ak both cities are connected to Islamabad via air since 1975

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Muhammad Naveed

Oct 02, 2015 11:42am

It's not good . Can you take action between peshawar and Karachi flights ? do you know how many flights are flying between Peshawar and Karachi, is it can complet our demands no ....... Never there are above thousands passengers are coming to Karachi in a day where they are using bus, train and personal convince who's are involved in our economy directly and indirectly, any body can take action to increase to daily flights for peshawar I think it's impossible for you but it's possible for you to give service only for those politicians who's interested in that city.

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