Welcome to Islamabad International
Civil Aviation Authority had woken up to the fact and managed to give it a good enough facelift
The writer, a former editor of The Express Tribune, is director of the Centre for Excellence in Journalism at IBA, Karachi. He tweets @tribunian
It was a pleasure landing at the Islamabad International Airport some days back. It is impressive in size and structure. The first thing one notices about this greenfield project is the outline of the Margalla mountains in the backdrop. It is a beautiful sight and finally, the capital has an airport befitting its name.
For too long we were forced to make do with the Chaklala airport - living in denial and calling it Islamabad Airport. Having said that, after the old airport had been declared one of the worst airports in the world (and believe me, it was), the Civil Aviation Authority had woken up to the fact and managed to give it a good enough facelift.
Good or bad, Chaklala airport is part of Pakistan’s political history and I wonder what will become of it now that all flights have been diverted to the new airport. One hopes that the CAA does not decide in its infinite wisdom to convert it into a housing society, as has been the case with land all around it. Needless to say, it is prime land and there is money waiting to be made.
Coming back to the new airport, the first issue, of course, is its name. While some have proposed that the old name Benazir Bhutto International be transferred to the new airport, there are many who disagree. Some have suggested Liaquat Ali Khan airport while other insist on Fatima Jinnah airport. If that were to happen, we would have two Jinnah airports in Pakistan - one in Karachi and the other in Islamabad. Some right-minded persons have suggested Abdus Sattar Edhi airport.
The prime minister, we are told, remains undecided. Given that he is at his last leg of office, maybe a national online poll could be held giving suggestions which he could then consider.
Speaking of last leg, what is obvious with the new airport is that it has been opened ahead of time. Possibly Shahid Khaqan Abbasi wanted to see his name on the inauguration plaque before he left office. There are glitches galore at the airport. But to be fair to CAA, when I arrived at the airport, it was its third day of operation. Managing such a mammoth enterprise is itself quite a task.
But more attention has to be paid to cleaning. Trash cans are overflowing, the walkways are caked in dust. In many places, water is spilt on the floor. The bathrooms, like any good Pakistani bathroom, are fast deteriorating for lack of proper cleaning. As usual, people are popping their feet into the wash basins despite the fact that there are proper facilities in the building for ablution next to the prayer rooms.
While managing is one thing, one can - in their capacity as a passenger who has travelled in many airports around the world, comment on the design and the facilities available at the new airport. To begin with, the airport has an open feeling. There is a lot of glass and that gives a feeling of openness. But one has to be mindful of Pakistan’s bureaucratic mindset - the same open spaces in Karachi Airport were boxed in soon after. Huge glass windows were blackened out at Karachi airport and that is sure to happen in Islamabad too. That will destroy the look of the airport if it happens. The ASF is using bicycle loop locks to lock doors.
In some areas, planning is lacking. The toilet in the arrival lounge is so small, it can cater to four people in one go. The same is true of other facilities. There is no canteen for staff. These problems need to be addressed.
Glass means heat and in turn massive air-conditioning. There is nothing eco-friendly about this. No effort was made by the architects to include eco-friendly solutions to the airport it seems. There is very little greenery, much of the airport is marble and glass.
No effort has been made to take the flora and fauna of the area into account either. In many ways, the airport is bare and lacks a local flavour. There are no paintings or works of art or designs that would indicate that this is the major airport of Pakistan’s capital city.
One can hope for improvements in the days to come. Let us hope those improvements come sooner than later.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2018.
For too long we were forced to make do with the Chaklala airport - living in denial and calling it Islamabad Airport. Having said that, after the old airport had been declared one of the worst airports in the world (and believe me, it was), the Civil Aviation Authority had woken up to the fact and managed to give it a good enough facelift.
Good or bad, Chaklala airport is part of Pakistan’s political history and I wonder what will become of it now that all flights have been diverted to the new airport. One hopes that the CAA does not decide in its infinite wisdom to convert it into a housing society, as has been the case with land all around it. Needless to say, it is prime land and there is money waiting to be made.
Coming back to the new airport, the first issue, of course, is its name. While some have proposed that the old name Benazir Bhutto International be transferred to the new airport, there are many who disagree. Some have suggested Liaquat Ali Khan airport while other insist on Fatima Jinnah airport. If that were to happen, we would have two Jinnah airports in Pakistan - one in Karachi and the other in Islamabad. Some right-minded persons have suggested Abdus Sattar Edhi airport.
The prime minister, we are told, remains undecided. Given that he is at his last leg of office, maybe a national online poll could be held giving suggestions which he could then consider.
Speaking of last leg, what is obvious with the new airport is that it has been opened ahead of time. Possibly Shahid Khaqan Abbasi wanted to see his name on the inauguration plaque before he left office. There are glitches galore at the airport. But to be fair to CAA, when I arrived at the airport, it was its third day of operation. Managing such a mammoth enterprise is itself quite a task.
But more attention has to be paid to cleaning. Trash cans are overflowing, the walkways are caked in dust. In many places, water is spilt on the floor. The bathrooms, like any good Pakistani bathroom, are fast deteriorating for lack of proper cleaning. As usual, people are popping their feet into the wash basins despite the fact that there are proper facilities in the building for ablution next to the prayer rooms.
While managing is one thing, one can - in their capacity as a passenger who has travelled in many airports around the world, comment on the design and the facilities available at the new airport. To begin with, the airport has an open feeling. There is a lot of glass and that gives a feeling of openness. But one has to be mindful of Pakistan’s bureaucratic mindset - the same open spaces in Karachi Airport were boxed in soon after. Huge glass windows were blackened out at Karachi airport and that is sure to happen in Islamabad too. That will destroy the look of the airport if it happens. The ASF is using bicycle loop locks to lock doors.
In some areas, planning is lacking. The toilet in the arrival lounge is so small, it can cater to four people in one go. The same is true of other facilities. There is no canteen for staff. These problems need to be addressed.
Glass means heat and in turn massive air-conditioning. There is nothing eco-friendly about this. No effort was made by the architects to include eco-friendly solutions to the airport it seems. There is very little greenery, much of the airport is marble and glass.
No effort has been made to take the flora and fauna of the area into account either. In many ways, the airport is bare and lacks a local flavour. There are no paintings or works of art or designs that would indicate that this is the major airport of Pakistan’s capital city.
One can hope for improvements in the days to come. Let us hope those improvements come sooner than later.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2018.