Provincial governments in Pakistan and across the world have long maintained official air facilities, a practice regarded not as a novelty but as an administrative necessity.
Official aircraft play a vital role in emergency visits, swift response during natural disasters, inter-provincial coordination and the expeditious conduct of state affairs.
Sources said that the existing aircraft had grown old and technically unsafe. In aviation, expenditure extends beyond purchase to maintenance costs and safety risks. An ageing aircraft that appears inexpensive at the outset may, owing to repairs, ground time and safety concerns, prove more costly over the long term.
The new aircraft, observers said, is not a mere expense but a long-term investment. Its operational life may extend from 30 to 40 years, maintenance costs remain comparatively lower, and resale value is retained. It constitutes an institutional asset for successive governments rather than for any single individual.
Such assets, it is further noted, generate financial value of their own. Through the sale of the older aircraft, collateral value, and potential corporate or charter utilisation under an Air Punjab model, a substantial portion of the expenditure may be offset.
In several countries, official aviation assets are utilised in a similar manner to ensure that the burden upon the national exchequer remains limited.
Analysts said that instead of branding every government procurement as a scandal, it is prudent to examine whether a decision enhances long-term benefit, safety and administrative efficiency. If the answer lies in the affirmative, it ought to be regarded as a policy decision rather than a political controversy.
