The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has decided to go for development and expansion of Allama Iqbal International Airport at a cost of Rs 1 billion to address existing congestion problem and accommodate growth in international traffic.
Syed Aamer Mehboob, general manager/airport manager, Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore, expressed these views in a meeting, said a CAA spokesman here on Thursday. "The Ministry of Defence, in the light of the problems faced by the passengers due to the constraints/congestion, had approved the project and would be completed in 18 months, after approval of the design in about three months," he added.
While elaborating on the future plan, he said the project, being supervised by Nespak, has been designed to augment capacity of the terminal, ie international/domestic lounges and airside services, including provision of Avio bridges and improvement/enforcement of infrastructure to accommodate Airbus A-380.
"In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director (planning and development) Vikram Singh and Nespak Director Ejaz Saeed on July 30," he added. While explaining the project, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) general manager said with this project the facilities will be enhanced by 100 percent. He also said the number of counters for airlines, immigration, customs/security will be increased.
"The congestion problem in briefing and baggage area will be resolved. This will help reduce passenger clearance/processing time by 50 percent and also enhance passengers' facilities. Also, with the expansion plan, additional number of airlines could be accommodated in next 15 years, which would translate into more revenue," he added.