PIA can be turnaround through hard work, dedication & consistent policies: Saad Rafique
LAHORE, July 30 (SABAH): Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Muhammad Saad Rafique has inaugurated Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport’s newly reconstructed main runway, 3360 meters in length and 75 meters in width, built at a cost of Rs 6.450 billion.
MPA Khawaja Salman Rafique, Secretary Aviation Shaukat Ali, Director General Civil Aviation Khaqan Murtaza, Director General ASF Maj. Gen. Abid Latif, Managing Director NESPAK Dr. Tahir Masood along with other high ranking Civil Aviation and PIA officials were also present on the occasion.
Director General Civil Aviation Authority gave a welcome address and Managing Director NESPAK gave detailed presentation on the history, up-gradation need, cost and projected outcomes in terms of growth in revenues and increase in number of passengers and aircrafts.
The Minister was informed that the runway now meets CAT 4F requirements, the highest by ICAO, and has a length of 3360m and a width of 75m, and allows for unrestricted all-weather operations of air craft including Airbus A380. CAT-III Approaching Lighting System (ALS) will ensure uninterrupted operations during bad weather foggy season.
The Minister was also briefed that two new rapid exit taxiways with length 352 meters and width 44 meters have also been constructed as part of the same project. Additionally, construction of a new link taxiway connecting 18R end of secondary runway with 18L end of main runway with associated AFL has also been completed; these link taxiways and rapid exit taxiways are equipped with lighting system of highest international technology.
Khawaja Saad Rafique in his address congratulated Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority on this landmark success and announced that the newly reconstructed main runway of the airport is now operational. Right at the onset, he candidly noted that a completely unwanted and unnecessary wrangling exists among the departments institutions that is holding everyone back.
He appreciated the secretary and DG Civil Aviation for playing their role in synergizing the efforts of different departments at the PCAA. Highlighting the institutional problems, he said, employees must show results first and then make demands later; the unproductive ones will have to go. Mentioning PIA, he said there is a lot of room for improvement in that organization and that PIA, at the most, has only 3-5 years to stand on its own two feet. The Minister hoped PIA can be turnaround through hard work, dedication and consistent policies.
Saad Rafique said the PIA is provided with funds to replace the worn out seats on their five A320 aircrafts with new ones. He informed that a 777 Boeing aircraft grounded for a year will take to the air in a day or two; additionally, four new aircrafts (A320) will join PIA fleet with two aircrafts already in Pakistan. Moreover, five Airbuses and two 777 aircrafts will be repaired and refurbished and will be made operational within next 6 to 8 months and that will require big sums of money, he added.
Talking about country’s other airports, he stated that there are plans to upgrade Sukkur and Dera Ismail Khan Airports to international level. He said Lahore’s AIIAP is an important airport and will attract an investment of 5 billion rupees in the next 5 years. Khawaja Saad Rafique informed that the upgradation of Karachi Airport’s runway would start this year, adding that Gilgit, Chitral and Skardu airports would be further modernized.
He said had been told that the alternative of Walton Airport being constructed in Muridke would become operational by January 2023. Gwadar's new airport would become fully operational by September 2023 and work on Quetta and Faisalabad airports was underway and their runways would be completed this year, he informed. The Federal Minister for Aviation assured that Civil Aviation Authority will provide more facilities and opportunities to the private airlines.
Talking about flight ban, the Minister revealed that the authorities are trying to restore flights to America and UK and that EU people are expected to visit Pakistan in October. In the end, Secretary Civil Aviation Shaukat Ali and DG Civil Aviation Khaqan Murtaza presented Saad Rafique with a commemorative shield to mark the occasion.