K2 Airways, a new airline based in Pakistan, is in the final stages before it makes its debut. The carrier confirmed in a statement last week that it plans to begin commercial operations this year.

With support from Pakistani business people and professionals with an astounding passion for aviation and based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the airline is already making history in Pakistan. The carrier said it is the first to introduce Embraer E-Jets in the country's aviation industry.

The aircraft that fits perfectly

According to The News International, K2 said that it aims to link under-utilized and smaller airports of Pakistan with Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore to make travel convenient for national travelers. With two Embraer E190 aircraft, the airline hopes to serve specific domestic destinations by this year.

The cabin configuration and overall size of the E190 cater to the goals of K2's operation. The airline said the aircraft is part of a well-thought strategy to diversify and reshape passengers' travel experience and cabin experience based on the two-two seating configuration. The seats will also feature comfortable leg space, according to the carrier.

K2 Airway's Senior Manager of Commercial, Sarah Khoso, said that introducing the E190 is the right fit for the airline because it has the right capacity to serve the domestic market.

"We hope to see Embraer E190 getting popular based on its spacious cabin and comfortable seat configuration with no middle seat," Khoso said in a statement obtained by The News International.

Connecting passengers to big and small cities

While other leading carriers in Pakistan have a presence on popular routes around larger cities, Khoso also mentioned that K2 has a noble plan to connect smaller towns to bigger ones, which would provide more air connectivity within Pakistan.

K2 will also offer flexibility to travelers in choosing the right airport within the cities it plans to serve. Additionally, the airline plans to operate as a feeder carrier for the existing domestic carriers to complement their operations if needed.

According to The News International, the businessmen and professionals backing the airline believe in utilizing modern automation tools and gathering young and dynamic professionals in the team to create a strong, technologically apt, and digitally enabled aviation entity in Pakistan.

Where did the name come from?

The airline's name is reportedly a reference to a mountain peak in Pakistan named K2. Behind Mount Everest, the mountain is the second-highest mountain peak in the world and the highest in Pakistan, with a peak elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 feet). K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of the ascent, according to Pakistan Embassy Tokyo Japan. It also has the second-highest fatality rate among climbers, as one out of every four people who reach the summit dies while climbing.

Similar to climbing the mountain, K2 Airways seems ready to face the challenges that a startup airline may face. According to Air Data News, the new carrier has been preparing to begin its operation since at least 2019, when it launched its social media marketing campaign.