Aviation complex foundation laid

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director-General Air Marshal Pervez Akhtar Nawaz on Saturday laid the foundation stone of Aviation Complex at Peshawar International Airport to provide all kind of modern aviation facilities to the people.
The complex would be a joint venture of the CAA and the Shaheen Airport Services (SAPS), comprising 24 offices would be completed during the current calendar year. For the construction of the complex both parties has signed a lease agreement of 20 years.
Addressing on the occasion, the CAA director-general appreciated the role of SAPS in cargo operations, saying the construction of the complex would go long way in the promotion of trade activities in Peshawar.
He announced that after the completion of the construction of Aviation Complex and an approach road would be constructed and other problems would be resolved through joint efforts with SAPS.
Air Marshal Akhtar Nawaz said the runway of the airport has been strengthened according to the demand of requirements and now big planes like plane 230 and 777 could also be accommodated here, adding after Islamabad Airport it has become second airport which accommodate five big planes at a time.
Speaking on the occasion, Shaheen Air Port Services Executive Director (SAPS) Air Commodore Muhammad Ali Shah has said we are going to install cargo scanning machine at the Peshawar International Airport to facilitate the exporters of the perishable goods from NWFP shortly.
He said it was the long standing demand of the business community of the province and would be installed in the export warehouse of Shaheen Airport Services, adding the SAPS has already given the order and will be installed in three or four months.
The SAPS Executive Director said the perishable goods like vegetables and fruits were used to keep for 24-hours at the cargo, which was affecting the export of the province.
Air-Commodore Muhammad Ali Shah said that the Aviation Complex would be constructed on 23,000 square feet comprising 24 offices, is the joint venture of the CAA and the SAPS, adding the project would be completed before the end of the current calendar year to provide all kinds of aviation facilities at the Peshawar Airport.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Adeel Rauf congratulated both the CAA and SAPS on launching the project, adding after completion of the project, the exporters of the province should be allowed to establish their offices to get closely touch with their export cargo.
"The provision of office facilities with the airport premises is a quantum leap towards export facilitation, and I am sure that the investment of the CAA and SAPS in this complex would advantageous both for these institutions and for the local traders and industrialists of the province," the SCCI chief added.
He said most of the time the exporters from NWFP facing difficulty in finding space for their export goods as the spaces reserved for the exporters from other provinces.
It should be ensured that offices at Aviation Complex should only be allotted to the exporters of NWFP, Adeel Rauf maintained.
He announced full support for the construction of Aviation Complex and expressed the hope that the genuine exporters contributing towards the economic development would be encouraged and assured the sponsors that SCCI would leave no stone unturned to facilitate them in their drive for growth of NWFP export and economy.