Bhoja Air

Bhoja Air (IATA: B4, ICAO: BHO, call sign: BHOJA) is an airline based in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It operates a small domestic scheduled network. It ceased operations in 2000 due to financial difficulties and succumbed to numerous debts and was relaunched in 2011, the first flight was on 6th March 2012.

History

On 7 November 1993, Bhoja Air started operations on domestic routes between Karachi, Lahore and Quetta with a dry leased Boeing 737-200. It was registered in Pakistan making Bhoja the first private airline in the country to operate a Western manufactured aircraft.

Bhoja Air is a privately owned airline of the Bhoja Group of Companies with its head office at Shahrah–e-Liaquat, Karachi and corporate Offices at KDA society.

In 1996, it signed a deal with the handling agent group OGDENS with complete ground handling equipment at Karachi, capable of handling 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 they commenced International flights from Karachi to Dubai. Later, Bhoja Air operated flights to the U.A.E from all major cities of Pakistan.

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 Karachi and an operations and ramp office at Karachi airport.

Relaunch

Bhoja Air announced in November 2011, that it plans to restart operations in 2012. Bhoja Air's founder Chairman Mr. M. Farouk Omar Bhoja and a new management which includes the ex-Managing Director of Shaheen Air Mr. M. Arshad Jalil as the Airline's Managing Director head the airline. Their website states that initially they intend to operate on domestic sectors of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and new destination Sukkur, thereafter commencing international operations to Dubai and beyond.

Bhoja Air's inaugural flight B4-115 took off from Jinnah International Airport Karachi on 6th March 2012 for Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore.

Destinations

Bhoja network covers the following at March 2012:

Pakistan

• Islamabad - Benazir Bhutto International Airport [begins 30 March]
• Karachi - Jinnah International Airport
• Lahore - Allama Iqbal International Airport
• Multan - Multan International Airport
• Sukkur - Sukkur Airport

Fleet

As of March 2012 Bhoja Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:

• 4 Boeing 737-200
• 1 Boeing 737-400

Bhoja have also leased a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 on short term, till additional Boeing 737s join the fleet.

External links

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