Over 120 flights cancelled as weak demand persists despite fare cuts

Airlines cancelled around 120 domestic and international flights between Friday and Saturday as passenger demand remained weak despite significant fare reductions, according to a report by The Express Tribune.

The cancellations included about 20 domestic flights and nearly 100 international services on routes to Sharjah, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Doha, Istanbul and Fujairah.

Airport-wise figures show 27 cancellations at Jinnah International Airport, 21 at Islamabad International Airport and 18 at Allama Iqbal International Airport. Other affected facilities included Peshawar Airport with 13 cancellations, Multan Airport with 9, Faisalabad Airport with 8 and Sialkot Airport with 4.

Industry sources said airlines reduced domestic fares by Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 in an effort to stimulate demand, but bookings did not recover. Passenger traffic declined sharply at major airports, including Allama Iqbal International Airport, reflecting broader weakness in travel demand.

Travel agents said the market is now largely limited to essential travel, as high overall expenses continue to discourage discretionary trips.

Khawaja Ayub Naseem of the Travel Agents Association said fares on the Lahore-Karachi route, previously in the range of Rs60,000 to Rs70,000, have dropped to around Rs40,000 to Rs45,000 or lower. However, the reduction has not led to a meaningful increase in passenger turnout.

Analysts attribute the downturn to persistent inflationary pressures and regional tensions, which have combined to suppress demand and force airlines to scale back operations.