South Air Peshawar Lahore flight takes off

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi inaugurated a new South Air Peshawar Lahore flight on Monday, November 9, 2026, opening another air link between Peshawar and Lahore. The inaugural flight left Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar at 1:56pm with the governor on board, bound for Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Kundi called the new route “not just a flight, but a journey toward progress, connectivity and prosperity”. “This journey is not just the beginning of a flight — it is a journey toward an evolving, bright and strong Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said. “We will change ‘T-to-T’, from terrorism to tourism, and from terrorism to trade,” he added.

“We will end terrorism and promote tourism. Tourism will grow, investment will come, and the economy will improve,” Kundi said.

South Air Peshawar Lahore flight cuts road journey to one hour

Kundi said the new service would boost both trade and tourism because it cuts a road journey he put at 10 hours down to a one-hour flight. He said that was why the province wanted air links with more cities.

“This is why we want connectivity in different cities, like Lahore, Quetta; in the future we will have connectivity with Chitral in the future as well,” Kundi said.

South Air Chief Commercial Officer Nishat Fatima also addressed the ceremony, saying the airline aimed to bring more services to cities that had long been neglected. A joint secretary from the Ministry of Defence, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPAs, senior government and airport officials, and representatives of the business community attended too.

South Air said the route adds another link to the domestic network served by Pakistan Airports Authority airports, giving passengers one more way to travel between the two cities.

In Lahore, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb welcomed the governor on arrival, with Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare Khawaja Salman Rafique and MPA Ramesh Kumar, along with airport officials.

Kundi links new route to wider air connectivity plans

The launch came a day after Kundi met Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain on Sunday. The two agreed the boundary disputes between the two regions should be settled amicably through consultation, and discussed improving air links between them. Kundi said he would talk to South Air about starting services between the two regions, while Amjad promised the Gilgit-Baltistan government would cooperate fully.

Amjad also raised the need for better air links between Gilgit and Islamabad. Representatives of South Air also held talks with the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister about adding more air services.

The Peshawar-Lahore route is the latest step in South Air’s growth. The airline began operations in July, launching flights from Karachi to Quetta via Turbat and from Islamabad via Bahawalpur, and also started a Peshawar-Quetta service that month. It plans to add flights to Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan next, Fatima said.

The new route also lands in the middle of a tense political moment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in the province on October 11, citing what it called the PTI-led provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the counterterrorism fight. Kundi, who leads the provincial set-up under that arrangement, has made security and development his main themes since then.

The province’s security drive has continued alongside the governor’s rule. The provincial set-up plans to spend Rs70bn on police and the Counter Terrorism Department and to fill 17,000 vacant police posts. The opposition alliance TTAP has said the movement against the government may be led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a sharp critic of the emergency.

What the new service means for travellers

A one-hour flight changes the calculation for business travellers, families and officials who move between the two provincial capitals.

South Air is a private carrier, and the Peshawar-Lahore service adds to a small but growing set of domestic routes outside the main airlines. The airline has already shown it can open routes quickly, and its talks in Gilgit-Baltistan point to more services in the north.

The same week, the province has also been in the news for its air links in the north. Gilgit-Baltistan has been working on an aircraft lease deal with South Air to improve air connectivity, a plan that would give the region more reliable flights after years of cancellations.

For now, the Peshawar-Lahore flight is running, and the governor has tied it to a wider promise: better links between cities, more trade, and a shift in how the province is seen. Whether that promise holds will depend on the service staying regular, and on the security situation. Travellers can also follow other transport changes, such as the restoration of the Lahore-Faisalabad train service, which resumes on November 15 after flood damage repairs.

Frequently asked questions

When did the South Air Peshawar Lahore flight start?

The inaugural flight departed from Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar at 1:56pm on Monday, November 9, 2026, with Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on board, and landed in Lahore at 2:30pm.

How long does the flight take?

Kundi said the flight takes one hour, against a road journey he put at 10 hours between Peshawar and Lahore.

What did Governor Kundi mean by “T-to-T”?

He said his administration had begun working on “T-to-T: from terrorism to tourism”, and added that it could also mean from terrorism to trade.

Which airports does the route connect?

The route connects Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar with Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.

What other routes does South Air operate?

South Air already flies Peshawar to Quetta, and in July it launched Karachi to Quetta via Turbat and Islamabad via Bahawalpur. It plans services to Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan next.