Unsafe Highways in Balochistan Trigger Surge in Airfares, Leaving Travelers Struggling

QUETTA: The deteriorating condition of national highways in Balochistan, particularly the Quetta–Karachi Highway, has forced many travelers to shift from road to air travel, resulting in a sharp increase in airfares and creating significant hardships for passengers.

According to travel industry sources and travel agents, frequent traffic accidents, prolonged road closures, and poor infrastructure have made road travel increasingly dangerous and unreliable. As a result, demand for flights has risen sharply, driving ticket prices to record levels.

Travel agents said fares for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights between Quetta and Karachi have increased from around Rs73,000 to as much as Rs80,000. Meanwhile, fares for PIA flights between Quetta and Islamabad have reportedly climbed from approximately Rs80,000 to Rs120,000.

Private airlines are also charging between Rs60,000 and Rs65,000 for flights between Quetta and Karachi, while fares on the Quetta–Islamabad route range from Rs75,000 to Rs80,000.

The sharp rise in fares has placed a heavy financial burden on ordinary citizens, including patients, students, government employees, businesspeople, and families travelling in emergencies.

Public and business circles said that Balochistan, despite being Pakistan’s largest province by area, already suffers from limited transport infrastructure. They argued that with highways becoming increasingly unsafe and air travel becoming unaffordable, residents are left with few practical travel options.

They also pointed out that airfares on comparable domestic routes in other parts of Pakistan remain significantly lower. According to available fare comparisons, flights from Karachi to Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Peshawar cost around Rs13,000, while passengers travelling to and from Balochistan are paying several times more for similar domestic journeys.

Representatives of social and business organizations said the province’s residents are facing a double burden: hazardous road conditions and soaring airfares. They warned that patients requiring urgent medical treatment, students, government officials, and traders are among those most severely affected because they often have no choice but to purchase expensive airline tickets.

Political, business, and civil society groups have urged the federal government, the Ministry of Aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines, and the Balochistan government to take immediate action. They called for special airfare concessions for Balochistan, the introduction of additional flights, stronger oversight of airline pricing, and the urgent reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Quetta–Karachi Highway.

They warned that unless prompt measures are taken, the province’s residents will continue to face growing financial pressure, travel difficulties, and a sense of deprivation, while the region’s commercial, educational, and economic activities could also suffer further setbacks.