Senate panel calls for improving facilities at BKIA

Peshawar DC asked to provide land for a four-lane entry road to the airport

ISLAMABAD: Senate Special Committee on Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA) Peshawar on Wednesday directed aviation authorities concerned to devise a proper plan to reduce the hardships of passengers.

The committee which met at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz noted that there were serious problems at Peshawar airport that should be resolved on a priority basis to facilitate the passengers.

Aziz said that BKIA was not properly planned thus causing inconvenience to the passengers.

Senator Attaur Rehman said that flights should be restored to other airports of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa too, including Dera Ismail Khan.

Earlier, the senior officials of aviation division briefed the committee about the progress on roads leading to BKIA.

They said that airport management has approached the Peshawar DC for the acquisition of land for four-lane entry road to the airport.

The officials further said that the permission to use Bahadur Yar Jang Road will be conveyed to the provincial government to ease traffic plying to the airport.

Senator Farhatullah Babar noted that some roads leading to Peshawar airport had been closed on account of security threats. He said at least Bahadur Yar Jang Road should be opened as an alternative route.

Senator Shibli Faraz called for opening Khyber Road to approach the airport.

Aviation Division officials informed the committee immigration counters have been increased in the international lounge to facilitate the passengers.

They further informed that the conceptual proposal for multi-car parking has been submitted by the NESPAK, adding that the proposal was under evaluation.

The committee was also informed that advisor to PM had ordered an immediate in-house study for selection of a new site for the airport, adding that concurrently a foreign consultant was being hired through advertisement.

However, Senator Faraz said, if the government was planning a new airport in Peshawar than it should not spend billions of rupees on BKIA.

Members of the committee senators Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Nisar Muhammad, Ahmed Hassan, Khanzada Khan, John Kenneth Williams, Haji Saifullah Khan Bangash, Ilyas Bilour, Rubina Khalid and Advisor to PM on Aviation attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2017.