Air TransportPakistan’s rookie carrier Air Karachi has recognized to talk to COMAC manufacturer to evaluate a possible order from C919, the most advanced commercial jet developed in China.
While talks with Airbus and Boeing are also ongoing, Air Karachi chairman Hanif Gohar confirmed that COMAC is a serious contender. The choice is not just commercial, but also strategic: China and Pakistan share a deep-rooted aerospace partnership, especially in the military sector.
Pakistan co-developed the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet with China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and became the first foreign operator of the J-10CE multirole fighter, which recently made headlines after reportedly shooting down an Indian Rafale.
Air Karachi’s interest in the C919 comes as Pakistan seeks alternatives to its heavily indebted national airline, PIA, which is undergoing a second attempt at privatization. The void in the market is being filled by private-sector initiatives, modeled after the success of Air Sial, a carrier launched by industrialists from Sialkot.
Founded in November 2024 by a group of 100 business stakeholders with PKR 5 billion (around US$17.6 million) in seed funding, Air Karachi recently received its public transport license and aims to begin domestic operations with three aircraft, expanding to international routes within a year.
Gohar noted that the airline is open to the best offer, but hinted that COMAC’s C919 is under serious consideration as a launch platform.
If finalized, the deal would mark the first commercial deployment of the C919 in South Asia, expanding COMAC’s reach beyond its home market and posing a symbolic challenge to the Western aerospace duopoly in emerging economies.
