Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda has expressed the desire of Japanese airlines who are interested in starting flight to Islamabad from Tokyo. Japanese ambassador held a meeting with Federal Minister for aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Japanese ambassador mentioned that PIA has two weekly flights on the Islamabad-Beijing-Tokyo route.
- Air Sial to add Airbus A320s into its fleet, adds flights to Riyadh
- Indigo flight from Jeddah diverted to Karachi after a medical emergency, a passenger was found dead upon checkup
- Caretaker Government of Pakistan plans to “gradually shut down” Pakistan International Airlines
- Zara Airways: The story of an airline on paper that dreams of starting flights from Canada to Pakistan
- Ethiopian Airlines resumes flights to Karachi after 19 years
Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that Japan and Pakistan want to have mutual cooperation in the field of aviation. Federal Minister for Aviation also thanked ambassador for enhancing the Fifth Freedom Rights quota in March 2019 from 1300 passengers to 4000 passengers per month and cargo quota from 40 tons of cargo to 100 tons of cargo per month.
Federal Minister for Aviation asked for the enhancement of fifth freedom traffic rights capacity between Beijing and Tokyo from 4000 monthly passengers to 5000 monthly passengers and cargo capacity between Beijing and Tokyo from 100 tons per month to 200 tons per month for the designated airlines of Pakistan.
It is important to note that the Air Services Agreement between Pakistan and Japan was initialled on October 17, 1961, and signed on July 12, 1962. The ASA stipulates single airline designation with PIA being the designated airline of Pakistan and JAL (Japan Airlines) being the designated carrier of Japan. The existing bilateral arrangements as envisages in the agreed minutes of September 25, 1987, include for Pakistan 2 capacity units (B-767) via Beijing and 3 capacity unites via Southern routes. And for Japanese Air Line 5 capacity units.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan also thanked Ambassador for Japan’s help through Japan International Corporation Agency) in areas of Airport Security Force (ASF) and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The equipment that has been provided by JICA in phase 1 through Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) include X ray machine, auto clear, vehicle scanner and cargo scanner. And in phase 2, JICA will provide equipment to CAA including, hold baggage explosive, liquid explosive detection system and baggage handling system. Federal Minister recommended that ASF Staff may be provided institutional based technical training for JICA equipment. He also asked Ambassador to reduce time span between planning stage for and execution equipment provision by JICA.
It is also important Ghulam Sarwar Khan also thanked Ambassador for sponsoring PMD projects. He told that Specialized Medium Range Forecast Centre (SMRFC) has been constructed in Islamabad through Japanese aid. Its cost is Rs. 2.5 billion. Japan also helped in the installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sukkar.