New airport: ‘Work is 85 per cent complete’

Ahsan Iqbal says parts of the airport may be functional by year’s end

ISLAMABAD: The new Islamabad international airport will be operational next year, according to Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal, who also said work on the facility is 85 per cent complete.

After visiting the site of the new airport on Friday, the minister said the facility’s terminal will be completed by November and made partially operational by the end of this year.

Iqbal opined that the project had become “a white elephant” due to the financial mismanagement of previous governments. The project’s initial cost was Rs31 billion, and has now surged to Rs81 billion.

“When the PML-N came to power in 2013, about 40 per cent work on the project had been completed,” he said, adding that under special directives of the prime minister, the pace of work was expedited to bring the project into its final phase.



He said that despite having been 40 per cent complete, no planning was in place for providing basic facilities such as a water supply, approach roads and electricity at the site.

“The present government has approved construction of two dams for supplying water to the new airport, while a grid station has been set up to supply electricity,” he added.

Iqbal said nearly two million people travelled through the old airport in a year, adding that this number will rise to nine million after the new airport becomes functional.

He added that two approach roads were also under construction for passengers and cargo, and will be completed in around six months. Two runways have been completed, one of which would be used for emergency landing, the minister said.

“The runways have been built to international standards, where large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 will be able to land,” he added.

The Federal Investigating Agency is probing alleged mismanagement and corruption in the project, revealed Iqbal, promising action against those involved in corruption.

He said the government was also considering linking the airport with a railway track, to enable ease of approach for passengers.

In July, the Central Development Working Party approved an estimated Rs1,657 million for sustainable rainwater resources and the construction of the Ramma Dam to meet water requirements of the new airport.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2015.