New Islamabad airport to be operational by July 2017, PAC told

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on Thursday that construction of the new Islamabad international airport would be completed by December 25 this year and flight operations would be started by July 30, 2017.

The PAC met under the chairmanship of Opposition Leader in National Assembly Khursheed Ahmed Shah.

Members of the National Assembly, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Raja Javed Ikhlas, Shahida Akhtar Ali, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Junaid Anwer Chaudhry, Shafqat Mahmood, Rana Afzaal, Naveed Qamar, Mian Abdul Manan, Secretary Science and Technology Fazal Abbas Maken, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Secretary Irfan Elahi, COMSATS Rector Junaid Zaidi, High Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and senior officials of the CAA attended the meeting.

Regarding the audit objection of the CAA for year 2013-14, it was informed that the reviewed estimated cost of the new airport of Rs 81 billion would not exceed.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General Air Marshal (r) Asim Salman informed the PAC that 88 per cent work of the new airport had been completed and both the constructed runways were of international standard.

He said that modern landing system and lights had been installed at the new airport and all the equipment was of international standard.

Answering a question, Asim Salman said the project was facing several problems, but it would be completed at any cost and 98 per cent work of the passenger terminal building had been completed.

The official of the CAA informed the committee that a grid station for the airport was ready and the CAA had demanded 25 MW electricity from the WAPDA.

He said that new airport had been designed to suffice the need of nine million people, adding that extension of the Lahore airport was also in progress.

Khursheed Shah said that cost of the project had escalated from Rs 37 billion to Rs 74 billion that could increase even further if the project was delayed.

The official said that the National Highway Authority (NHA) had started construction of the link roads of the new airport.

He said that the CAA had already launched work on a project for water supply from Ramma Dam to the new airport and land acquisition was also in progress for the construction of Kasana Dam.

The CAA official told the meeting that due to a designing glitch, two planes would not be able to land simultaneously as both the runways had mutual distance of just 201 metres.

Khursheed Shah suggested the CAA to start direct Hajj flights from the Sukkur airport.

CAA Secretary Irfan Elahi said the authority would try its best to start flights for Hajj operation from Sukkur.