New Islamabad airport close to completion

Will boost business activity in the region, says project director.

ISLAMABAD:

More than 90% work on the new Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) has been completed and the facility is expected to become operational in October 2016, according to IIAP Project Director Civil Aviation Brigadier (Retd) Pervez Hayat Khan.     

He was briefing a delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) led by its chairman, Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, on Thursday. He informed the delegation that the runways, roads and terminals were in the final stage of completion and it has been developed with the state-of-the-art facility with three times more passenger handling capacity, a four-story terminal and 15 boarding bridges.

Khan added that 99% work for laying transmission lines has been completed and a 135 megawatt grid station has also been built to provide electricity to the airport.

He said the airport is located at an area of 3,300 acres, with the length of 18.5 kilometres, while feasibility of three big dams was prepared to supply water to the facility. Khan said the initial development cost of the project was estimated at Rs38 billion, however, due to delays, its cost has increased to over Rs85 billion.

He hoped that the completion of this facility would give boost to business activities as it will promote trade and exports from this region. Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sabri appreciated the construction of a modern airport in Islamabad and said that a Facilitation Counter for businessmen should be established at the airport to provide them better services.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2014.

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