Bhoja Air

Bhoja Air (ICAO: BHO, Call sign: BHOJA) was an airline based in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It operated a small domestic scheduled network and links domestic cities to destinations in the United Arab Emirates. It ceased operations in 2000 due to financial difficulties and succumbed to numerous debts.

History

On 7 November 1993, Bhoja Air started operations. The airline started with services on domestic routes and inaugurating flights between Karachi, Lahore and Quetta, with a dry lease Boeing 737-200 aircraft. The aircraft was registered with Pakistani registration and was the first private airline in Pakistan to operate with a Western manufactured aircraft.

Bhoja Air, a privately owned airline was owned by the Bhoja Group of Companies. Bhoja Air has its head office at Shahrah–e-Liaquat and corporate Offices at KDA society. Karachi was one of its prime locations as the airline believed it was the heart of the gateway to Southeast Asia. It also had its headquarters in Karachi.

In 1996, it signed a deal with the handling agent group OGDENS with complete ground handling equipment at Karachi. Their equipment was capable to handle Boeing 747s.

In the same year another Sister Company, Pakistan Aviators and Aviation located at Lahore International airport was purchased along with a hotel for passenger stop overs.

January 24, 1998, was another festive day for the company when it commenced its first International flight from Karachi to Dubai. Later, Bhoja Air operated flights to the U.A.E from all major cities of Pakistan including having a solid domestic network.

However due to financial difficulties Bhoja Air suspended its operations in 2001, although its Airline Licence issued by CAA - Pakistan remained valid and it maintained a fully functional headquarter office in the city of Karachi and an operations and ramp office at Karachi airport.

Relaunch plan

Bhoja Air announced in November 2011, that it plans to restart operations in January 2012. Bhoja Air's founder Chairman Mr. M. Farouk Omar Bhoja has installed a new management which includes the ex-Managing Director of Shaheen Air Mr. M. Arshad Jalil as the Airline's Managing Director. They are in the process of inducting 4 x Boeing 737-200 and 1 x B737-400 into their fleet at the moment.

Bhoja Air's website has been updated with a new look and some background information regarding their launch plans. It states that they are looking to employ cabin crew and other staff. Initially they intend to operate on domestic sectors of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and new destination Sukkur, thereafter commencing international operations to Dubai - United Arab Emirates and beyond.

Destinations

According to their website Bhoja Air will serve the following:

Pakistan

• Islamabad - Benazir Bhutto International Airport
• Karachi - Jinnah International Airport
• Lahore - Allama Iqbal International Airport
• Multan - Multan International Airport
• Sukkur - Sukkur Airport

With the exception of Sukkur all the others routes were served in the past and included Faisalabad, Peshawar and Quetta, plus international service to Dubai.

Fleet

Bhoja Air plan to start operations with the following aircraft:

• 4 Boeing 737-200 (three ex-Comair, one ex-Kulula)
• 1 Boeing 737-400

They operated the following types previously;

• 2 Boeing 737-200
• 7 Yakovlev Yak-42

External links

• Official Website of Bhoja Air
• Bhoja Air Photographs, Airliners.net
• Bhoja Air Photographs, Pakistaniaviation.net