Airblue

Airblue is a Pakistani discount airline headquartered in Islamabad. The company was launched in 2003 with a great deal of national fanfare, including an inaugural commission by the prime minister himself. Since then, Airblue has grown significantly and has challenged both private and public sectors of Pakistani airlines, receiving multiple awards and recognition as the first private airline in the country to fly the long-haul route from Islamabad to Manchester. Airblue began with three leased Airbus A320s and has since gained considerable momentum.

Currently, the airline links seven domestic destinations in Pakistan while operating international connections to Manchester and Dubai. In 2006, the company hosted a celebration in honour of its one millionth passenger and plans have already been set in motion to double that figure very quickly. Airblue's most recent numbers boast a fleet of eight aircraft. Four of these are Airbus A320; another four are Airbus A321; and the final two are Beechcraft 1900.

This company has pioneered a great deal of new technology in Pakistan, focusing most of its energy at its central facility in Jinnah International Airport (Islamabad). They were the first airline in Pakistan to make use of self check-in kiosks and wireless check-in facilities. Airblue was also Pakistan's first airline to use e-ticketing as a main source of generating interest. Many of Airblue's professional innovations were firsts not only for Pakistan but for the entire region of South Asia as well. The corporate office intends to expand these advanced capabilities to secondary airports in Pakistan soon.

In order to maintain its status as Pakistan's fastest-growing airline, Airblue has to stay competitive through constant streamlining of expenses. The company maintains its low costs due in part to the success of the automated check-in services and online reservation system. To promote these services, Airblue frequently offers increased discounts to passengers who book travel online. Plans for expansion include several more leased aircraft as well as increasing the number of destinations served by Airblue.