South Air

South Air
IATA ICAO Call sign
Z8 SQB —
Founded2025
Commenced operations
November 2025
HubsJinnah International Airport, Islamabad International Airport
Fleet size2
Destinations12
Parent companySOS Group
HeadquartersKarachi, Pakistan
Websitesouthair.com.pk

South Air (Pvt.) Limited is a Pakistani private regional airline headquartered in Karachi, operating under the Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration (TPRI) licensing framework of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).

History

Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority introduced the TPRI licence category under the National Aviation Policy 2019 to encourage private-sector entry into regional air travel markets not served by existing scheduled carriers.[citation needed] South Air obtained a TPRI licence from the PCAA and an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), and has separately applied for a Regular Public Transport (RPT) licence. The airline is backed by SOS Group.

South Air was formally inaugurated on 24 November 2025 at a ceremony in Multan attended by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, then Senate Chairman and Acting President of Pakistan. At the ceremony, partnership agreements were signed with Pakistan International Airlines for maintenance, repair, and overhaul services and with Pakistan State Oil for fuelling.

In May 2026, South Air received its first aircraft, an ATR 72-500 leased from Jump Air registered as LY-JUA. In the same month, South Air received their second ATR 72-600 from Manta Air registered as 8Q-RAY.[citation needed]

In May 2026, South Air conducted trial flights ahead of the planned expansion of scheduled services, operating proving flights to Gwadar and Quetta.

Operations

South Air's network covers Karachi, Bahawalpur, Gwadar, Rahim Yar Khan, Panjgur, Turbat, Quetta, Zhob, Sukkur, Multan, Islamabad with Skardu and Gilgit also listed as a planned destination. Planned routes to northern Pakistan include two daily services to Gilgit, Chitral, and Skardu, operating initially from Islamabad and Lahore.

Nishat Fatima is Chief Executive Officer and Ejaz Mahmood Malik, a retired Air Vice Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force, is Chief Operating Officer. The airline's own account of its inauguration described Fatima as the first woman in Pakistan to lead an airline.

Destinations

As of July 2026, South Air flies to the following destinations:

Country City Airport Notes
Pakistan Rahim Yar Khan Rahim Yar Khan International Airport
IslamabadIslamabad International Airport
KarachiJinnah International Airport
BahawalpurBahawalpur Airport
QuettaQuetta International Airport
TurbatTurbat Airport
Sukkur Sukkur International Airport
Gwadar New Gwadar International Airport
Multan Multan International Airport

Fleet

The South Air fleet as of June 2026 consists of the following aircraft:

Aircraft In Service Orders Notes
ATR 72-500 1 0 Wet leased from Jump Air
ATR 72-600 1 0 Wet leased from Manta Air
ATR 42 - 1 Planned

References

  1. ↑ "South Air Secures AOC, Nears Flight Launch". bloompakistan.com. Bloom Pakistan. 25 April 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "نئی پاکستانی ایئر لائن ساؤتھ ایئر آج سے ٹیسٹ فلائٹ کا آغاز کرے گی". express.pk (in Urdu). Express News. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Gilani inaugurates South Air, calls new airline milestone for regional connectivity". app.com.pk. Associated Press of Pakistan. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Chairman Senate and Acting President Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Inaugurates South Air". southair.com.pk. South Air. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  5. ↑ "New airline South Air brings first aircraft to Pakistan". mettisglobal.news. Mettis. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "South Air". South Air. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "New airline South Air set to launch flights to Pakistan's northern areas". samaa.tv. Samaa TV. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  8. ↑ dawn, Acorrespodent (15 July 2026). "First private airline to start operations in RY Khan". Dawn. Retrieved 20 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. 1 2 3 Khattak, Arsalan (11 July 2026). "South Air Announces Flights Between Three Major Pakistani Cities". arabnews.pk. propakistani.pk. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "South Air's inaugural flights from Karachi depart for Quetta, Islamabad: PAA". dawn.com. dawn.com. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "South Air launches scheduled domestic flights from Karachi". brerecorder.com. brerecorder.com. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  12. ↑ PPI (20 July 2026). "South Air begins flights from Sukkur". Brecorder. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Gwadar, Des. "South Air Launches First Flight to Gwadar".
  14. ↑ Khattak, Arsalan. "South Air Launches New Route".
  15. ↑ "South Air's first ATR 72-500 aircraft arrives in Pakistan". dunyanews.tv. Dunya News. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Abbasi, Waseem (4 June 2026). "Pakistan Senate panel backs new airline South Air in dispute over northern routes". arabnews.pk. Arab News PK. Retrieved 4 June 2026.