Running behind time: Islamabad to get new airport by 2016

Official says Islamabad airport is of great significance because of its geographical location.

ISLAMABAD: New Benazir Bhutto International Airport (NBBIA) would be completed by 2016, an official said on Tuesday. Highlighting details of the project, the official said cost of additional acquisition of land for the second runway, increase in the price of dollar, price escalation due to prolongation in the execution tenure of the project and increase in costs of consultancy services have resulted in delays in the completion of the new airport. To a question, he said that there was no proposal under consideration for the development of another airport in Islamabad near Rawat. Responding to a question, he said a number of irregularities had been identified in the new airport and a committee constituted to oversee the project had submitted its report. He said that Islamabad airport was of great significance because of its geographical location and that it deals with 626 flights every week.  The groundbreaking of the new airport, spread over about 3,600 acres, was performed in April, 2007.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2014.