The New Islamabad International Airport, located in Fateh Jang Tehsil of Attock District some 30 km southwest of the Federal Capital, is expected to be completed and operational by 2014. a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Tuesday that a Chinese company and Frontier Works Organisation (WFO) were working round the clock to complete construction of passengers terminals buildings before the deadline.
Talking to APP, he said the new airport will replace the existing one, Benazir Bhutto International Airport located in Chaklala.
At present, the Benazir Bhutto International Airport is handling 18 airlines, adding, most of the international commercial flights are operated at morning time which cause rush and delays.
He, however, expressed confidence that the new airport spread over 3,600-acre would not only serve the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi but also the adjoining provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With an estimated cost of about $400 million, the new airport facility, which is the first green-field airport in Pakistan, would comprise a contemporary state-of-the-art passenger terminal building, control tower, runway with a provision of a secondary runway, taxiways, apron, cargo complex, and hangar together with all the necessary infrastructure and ancillary facilities.
The new airport would cater to the requirements of latest generation of modern passenger aircraft.
He said the new airport will have a modular design to handle 6.5 million passengers per annum and 80,000 metric tonnes cargo per annum.
Being a new airport, a significant portion of the land has been earmarked for commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, hotel and convention centre, air malls, business centre, food courts, leisure and recreational facilities.
The new airport is envisaged to be a modern landmark structure symbolic to represent twenty-first century Pakistan, as it will be the diplomatic and business gateway to Pakistan through the Capital City of Islamabad.
Responding to a question regarding security mess at Benazir Bhutto
International Airport, he said, all the international passengers are required to report at the airport before four hours of their flights while the domestic passengers are advised to reach before two hours to avoid rush and delays.
He, however, pointed out that most of the passengers do not follow these guidelines and instruction issued by the airlines and come at the eleventh hours and as a result they are unable to clear the Anti Narcotics Forces, Customs, Immigration Departments checking.
The Spokesman said a lot of friends and relative accompany the passengers to see them off at the airport which also cause an unnecessary rush.
He said a tax of Rs.20 per person was imposed for the entry of friends and relatives of passengers to avoid disorder and mess within airport premises but this arrangement has not worked to completely resolve the issue.