Cargo flights would be started in mid of April this year while internal passenger flights would be stared by the end of current year from Sialkot International airport.
Sialkot International Airport Chief Executive, Khawar A Khawaja and Chairman, Task Force on Trade and Industry, Mian Muhammad Riaz said this in a joint press conference at Sialkot Airport on Thursday. The airport is being developed on 1050 acres of land at a cost of Rs 2.63 billion.
Khawar Khawaja said this mega project had a great significance as it was being totally financed by the private sector. The Airport was being developed on build, own and operate (BOO) basis and it would be a landmark achievement not only in the history of Sialkot but also for the country, he added. He said the passenger terminal was under construction, hence temporarily separate passenger hall had been constructed to accommodate passengers.
Mian Muhammad Riaz said strict security measures would be adopted within the airport limits. Besides, it would also provide transportation facility to passengers from city to airport.
He said to cope with the menace of smuggling and drug trafficking a most modern checking system was being introduced at the airport. In this regard, Federal and Punjab governments had assured all possible co-operation, guidance and assistance to Airport for making this mega project complete successful, he added.
He said Sialkot-Wazirabad road was being converted into dual carriageway at a cost of Rs one billion, which would help in further accelerating the pace of trade and commerce activities in Sialkot. He said Sialkot-Lahore motorway would be completed at a cost of Rs 20 billion and along with the motorway universities and industrial estates would also be developed.
Riaz said that the country's longest runway measuring 3.600 metre long, 45 metre wide had been completed to provide landing and takeoff facilities to Boeing 747 and other aircraft. According to a rough estimate over 10,000 exporters of Sialkot besides a large number of exporters and other passengers of Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad, Jehlum and Mirpur (Azad Kashmir) would be benefited from the completion of this mega project.
The regular functioning of the airport would not only accelerate the pace of trade and commerce activities but also help enhancing the export volume to many fold while generate wide employment opportunities in the area.
The Sialkot International Airport would fully cater to the needs of golden industrial triangle of Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat. Undoubtedly, the airport will bring a revolutionary change in the socio-economic development of the region. With the merging of Dry Port, Export Processing Zone and Airport at Sialkot, the importance of the area will further enhance which will ultimately help substantial increase in the exports from the area in future.
It may be mentioned that in the absence of airport, the exporters of Sialkot were confronting with multifarious problems because the air cargo from the area is sent via Lahore and Islamabad airports.
According to a rough estimate 60 percent of aircraft movement will be for domestic while 40 percent for the international carriers. The potential traffic forecast for Sialkot international airport is scaled down at the time of opening to 472000 passengers a year while estimated cargo tonnage at the time of opening is expected to be 24,000 tonnes. This means that by the end of year 2012 about 53,000 tonnes of cargo will be lifted from the Airport.
Earlier, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Rashid Kalim and Air Vice Marshal Safdar Khan, Deputy Director General CAA, arrived at Sialkot International Airport and discussed various issues with SIAL Chief Executive and Mian Muhammad Riaz. Later, talking to media the Vice Chief of Air Staff lauded the efforts of business community of Sialkot for the establishment of the airport on self-help basis.
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