Gandhara Airways

Gandhara Airways
هواپیمایی گندهارا
*Havāpeyma’i-ye Gandhāra*
Founded	31 January 1936; 90 years ago
Hubs	Rhea International Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Silk Road Miles
Subsidiaries	Gandhara Airways Cargo;
Fleet size	48
Destinations	78
Headquarters	Rhea, Gandhara
Key people	Farid Ahmad Rahimi (Chairman & CEO)
Revenue	Increase US$1.82 billion (2024)
Operating income	Increase US$118 million (2024)
Employees	6,271 (2024)

Gandhara Airways, legally incorporated as Gandhara Airlines Private Joint-Stock Company (Gandhari: شرکت سهامی خاص هواپیمایی گندهارا, Sherkat-e Sahami-ye Khās-ye Havāpeyma’i-ye Gandhāra) is the flag carrier airline of Gandhara. Headquartered in Rhea, the airline operates domestic and international passenger and cargo services, mainly from its hub at Rhea International Airport.

History

Early years

On 31 January 1936, the British aviation company Airwork established a new airline in Gandhara under the name Gandhara Airwork. Ownership of the airline was shared between the Gandhari Monetary Agency (52%), Airwork (40%), and private Gandhari investors (8%). The government granted the company exclusive rights to operate scheduled air transport services in the country.

Operations commenced in June 1936 with flights between Rhea and Port Eden using de Havilland DH.86 aircraft. In 1937 the airline introduced Douglas DC-2 aircraft, followed by the Douglas DC-3 in 1938, which became the backbone of the airline's early network.

Following the Second World War, Gandhara Airwork expanded its international network with Douglas DC-4 and Douglas DC-6 aircraft, while Lockheed Constellations were introduced for long-distance routes. Convair CV-240 aircraft were used on regional services.

In 1951, the Gandhari government acquired the remaining shares in the airline, which was subsequently renamed Gandhara Airways.

Jet age

The jet age began in 1960 with the introduction of the Sud Aviation Caravelle on short- and medium-haul routes. In 1962 Gandhara Airways became one of the few airlines to operate the Convair 990 Coronado, which was used on medium- and long-haul services. Although the aircraft did not initially fulfill contractual specifications, they were popular among employees and customers for their stylish and comfortable cabins.

During the early 1970s the Convair fleet was gradually replaced by the Soviet-built Ilyushin Il‑62, which became the airline’s principal long-haul aircraft. The Il-62 allowed Gandhara Airways to expand its long-distance network with improved range and passenger capacity.

A major milestone came in 1975 with the introduction of the Boeing 747-200. The aircraft entered service on the airline’s busiest international routes and marked the beginning of wide-body operations for Gandhara Airways. The significantly larger passenger capacity of the 747 enabled the airline to consolidate traffic on key intercontinental routes and expand services to major hubs in Europe and Asia.

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s the airline also operated the Tupolev Tu-154 on medium-haul routes. Additional wide-body capacity was added with the introduction of the Airbus A300 in 1982 and the Boeing 747‑300 in 1986, which offered improved upper-deck capacity compared with the earlier variant.

Post–Cold War era

In 1992 Gandhara Airways introduced Airbus A310 aircraft for medium- and long-haul routes. In the same year, Boeing 737 Classic aircraft were delivered to replace older short-haul aircraft.

The airline continued to modernise its fleet during the 1990s with the introduction of the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767-300ER, which became the backbone of the carrier’s medium- and long-haul network.

21st century

During the 2000s Gandhara Airways began a gradual renewal of its short- and medium-haul fleet with the introduction of the Airbus A320-200 in 2005 and the Boeing 737-800 in 2009. During this period, the airline continued to operate aircraft such as the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 on higher-capacity services and longer routes, a role they continue to perform today.

The Airbus A320neo entered the Gandhara Airways fleet in February 2026. A total of 8 aircraft were ordered, with options for a further 8. The type was introduced to complement the existing fleet rather than to immediately replace older aircraft.

Destinations

As of May 2023, Gandhara Airways serves 130 destinations: 27 domestic destinations, and 103 international destinations across Aurora, Internatia, and Outernatia.

Codeshare agreements

Gandhara Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet

Gandhara Airways operates a fleet composed of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft from four aircraft families: the Airbus A320, including the Airbus A320neo, the Boeing 737, the Boeing 757, and the Boeing 767.

As of March 2025, the Gandhara Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Gandhara Airways fleet
Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers			Notes
Aircraft	In service	Orders	J	Y	Total	Notes
Airbus A320-200	12	—	12	138	150
Airbus A320neo	1	7	12	138	150	Order with 8 options. Deliveries from 2026 to 2030.
Boeing 737-300	6	—	—	136	136
Boeing 737-500	3	—	—	122	122
Boeing 737-800	10	—	12	150	162
Boeing 757-200	6	—	22	161	183
Boeing 757-300	1	—	22	194	216
Boeing 767-300ER	5	—	30	207	237
Gandhara Airways Cargo fleet
Boeing 737-300SF	2	—	Cargo
Boeing 757-200PCF	2	—	Cargo
Total	48	7

Cabin

Gandhara Airways offers three cabin classes, depending on the aircraft: Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Premium Economy was introduced in December 2018 with the addition of the Airbus A350-900 to the fleet. All other aircraft currently offer Business Class and Economy Class seats. Originally, the airline offered First Class seating on board its wide-body aircraft, but as Business Class seats evolved and became more private with a better level of service, First Class was removed. As the Airbus A350-900 offers Premium Economy and a new type of Business Class seats, there are plans within the airline to uniform the fleet and modernize the interior of other aircraft types.

Business Class

Gandhara Airways offers Business Class seats on all aircraft types. New Business Class seats were introduced on the Airbus A350 in December 2018, featuring lie-flat seats manufactured by Thompson Aero Seating, in a seating configuration of 1-2-1. These seats also feature Lantal air cushions, a four-way headrest, a storage shelf for personal belongings, a headphone hook, and a padded inner shell that absorbs noise. Each seat has direct aisle access and converts into a fully flat bed with a length of up to 78 inches (200 cm). The seats have a width of up to 21 inches (53 cm), with 18.5-inch personal in-flight entertainment monitors with video on demand, as well as in-seat power. The seats feature a USB port where passengers can charge mobile devices.

On Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, Business Class seating is in a 2-2-2 seating configuration. These seats have a pitch of 47 inches (120 cm), and are 20 inches (51 cm) wide. There are plans to reconfigure some Boeing 767 aircraft with the same Business Class seats that are found on the Airbus A350.

Business Class seating on Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737, and Boeing 757 aircraft is in a 2-2 abreast arrangement, with a seat pitch of 38 inches (97 cm) and a width of 21 inches (53 cm) on Airbus A320 family aircraft, a seat pitch of 36 inches (91 cm) and a width of 20 inches (51 cm) on Boeing 737 aircraft, and a seat pitch of 40 inches (100 cm) and a width of 21.5 inches (55 cm) on Boeing 757 aircraft. On Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft, Business Class seating is also in a 2-2 configuration. These seats have a pitch of 38 inches (97 cm), and are 20 inches (51 cm) wide.

Premium Economy

Gandhara Airways offers Premium Economy seats on board Airbus A350 aircraft, with a pitch of 38 inches (97 cm) and a width of 19 inches (48 cm). These seats are equipped with 13.5-inch personal in-flight entertainment monitors with video on demand, a headphone jack, a USB port, and in-seat power. The Premium Economy seating is in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Economy Class

Economy Class seats have a pitch of 34 inches (86 cm) on Boeing 767 aircraft, 33 inches (84 cm) on Airbus A350 and Boeing 757-200 aircraft, and 32 inches (81 cm) on other aircraft types. The seats on wide-body aircraft are equipped with adjustable winged headrests and in-seat power outlets. HD personal televisions are installed on wide-body, Airbus A320neo, and Boeing 757 aircraft. The Economy Class seating is in a 3-3 configuration on Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737, and Boeing 757 aircraft, in a 3-3-3 configuration on Airbus A350 aircraft, in a 2-3-2 configuration on Boeing 767 aircraft, and in a 2-3 configuration on Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft.

Loyalty program

Silk Road Miles is the frequent-flyer program of Gandhara Airways. Membership into the program is free. Miles can be earned by taking flights with Gandhara Airways and selected partner airlines. The number of miles earned depends on the ticket fare, class of service, and membership tier.

The program consists of four membership tiers: Caravan (Bronze), Merchant (Silver), Ambassador (Gold), and Envoy (Platinum). A member’s tier status depends on the number of flights taken between 1 January and 31 December of each year.

Miles can be redeemed for award tickets, upgrades to a higher class of service, additional baggage allowance, and lounge access. Miles may also be redeemed with partner hotels, restaurants, car rental companies, and selected retail partners. Miles can be claimed up to six months after an eligible flight and expire after two years without an eligible flight.