The privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines is progressing with six parties undertaking due diligence of the national carrier. In its June meeting, the board of Pakistan's Privatisation Commission pre-qualified the bidders, which include Fly Jinnah, Air Blue, Arif Habib Corporation, plus three separate consortia led by Pak Ethanol, Blue World City and YB Holdings. Formal bidding is expected to take place in August, with the government previously indicating it will sell at least 51% of the airline, and potentially its full shareholding. In a short statement following a 3 July briefing by privatisation minister Adbul Aleem Khan with local media, the Commission said: " The Minister expressed that PIA offers a very good opportunity for its buyer to earn profit given that PIA has great potential that only requires fresh investment." Nonetheless, at that briefing, the minister noted that bidders have been concerned about the impact an ongoing ban on Pakistani carriers from operating in the European Union would have on PIA’s prospects. The ban has been in place since 2020 over concerns about deficiencies in the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority's oversight of the country's airlines and was extended earlier this year following an audit by EASA in 2023. Fleets data shows that PIA has 22 aircraft in service, comprised of 12 Airbus A320s, four Boeing 777-200ERs, two -200LRs and two -300ERs, plus two ATR 42-500s. It also has a further 11 aircraft in storage, including two ATR 72-500s and five A320s.

ITA Airways plans to serve Bangkok from Rome, with flights starting from 16 November. The Italian carrier says it will operate the route at five-times weekly frequency using Airbus A330neo aircraft. It notes that this will be its first service between Italy and Thailand.

Qatar Airways has announced net profits of QR6.1 billion ($1.7 billion) for the year to end-March, up from QR4.4 billion a year before, as it continued to bounce-back from the pandemic. Revenues surged by QR4.7 billion to QR81 billion, with passenger numbers rising by over a quarter to more than 40 million and load factors reaching 83%. During the previous 12 months, the airline had carried 31.7 million passengers, a 71% increase on 2021/22. The Doha-based airline states that the growth in travellers is the result of a continuing “rebound from the recent challenges facing the global travel industry”. Over the course of the 12 months, Qatar Airways resumed operations to 14 destinations, mostly in Asia, plus added seven new links, including three in Saudi Arabia and two in France. That brought its network to more than 170 routes in total. Meanwhile, an EBITDA margin of 24% reflects “the business’s continued focus on customer experience, innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, resulting in streamlined, agile and fit-for-purpose operations across all areas,” it continues.
“These very strong financials are a testament to the ambition and clear direction that has informed the Qatar Airways Group’s progress throughout the 2023/24 financial year,” comments chief executive Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. “Our continued focus on profitability, efficiency and customer experience have been underpinned by a strategic programme of network growth and fleet expansion, resulting in the highest revenues and profit margins in the history of the airline.”