Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved on Thursday the expansion of Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, in a move aimed at improving passenger facilities at two of the country’s busiest airports. The approval was given at a meeting attended by senior members of the government and officials, and it sets the direction for work on both airports in the period ahead.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and senior officials.
During the meeting, participants were briefed on a survey by an international firm on travel facilities at major airports, and on master plans for the two airports. A survey by an international firm provides an outside assessment of how facilities compare and where improvements are needed, while master plans set out the long-term development framework for each airport. The prime minister’s approval follows that briefing, which suggests the decisions were taken with that assessment and planning material in front of the meeting.
The prime minister directed that facilities be improved to international standards using internationally renowned firms. That direction has two parts: the standard to be achieved, and the means of achieving it. International standards set the benchmark for passenger facilities, from terminals and lounges to processing and amenities. The use of internationally renowned firms points to a desire to bring in expertise and experience from firms that have worked on major airports elsewhere.
Work on automated border management systems, known as e-gates, at major airports is already under way. E-gates allow eligible passengers to pass through border controls more quickly, using automated checks rather than manual processing at every step. Their introduction at major airports is part of a wider modernisation of passenger processing, and it fits with the aim of improving the overall travel experience. Faster, smoother border processing reduces queues and waiting times, which are among the most visible frustrations for travellers.
Work is also ongoing on an air cargo village intended to make Karachi an air cargo hub. An air cargo village brings together cargo handling, warehousing and related services in a dedicated area, making it easier to move goods through the airport efficiently. For Karachi, the ambition is to become a hub for air cargo, which would mean more freight passing through Jinnah International and more economic activity linked to that cargo. The cargo village is therefore not only a passenger matter; it is part of the economic role airports play for the cities and regions they serve.
At Jinnah International itself, the runway expansion is complete. A completed runway expansion increases the airport’s capacity to handle aircraft movements and can support larger aircraft or more frequent services. It is a foundational piece of infrastructure: without sufficient runway capacity, terminal improvements alone cannot deliver a fuller service. The completion of that work in Karachi means one major element of the airport’s development is already in place as the wider expansion programme moves forward.
The meeting also heard about improvements at the passenger processing level. The Federal Investigation Agency has increased staff and counters and set up pre-departure desks at major airports. More staff and counters, and dedicated pre-departure desks, are aimed at reducing bottlenecks before departure, when passengers go through checks and documentation. Those measures, taken together with e-gates and terminal expansion, form a package intended to make the journey through the airport smoother from arrival at the terminal to boarding.
Looking further ahead, the aviation institution in Hyderabad is being improved into an international-standard aviation university, with work to commence by February 2028. That project is about the workforce behind aviation: training the pilots, engineers, managers and other professionals the sector needs. An international-standard aviation university in Hyderabad would expand the country’s capacity to train its own aviation professionals, rather than relying solely on institutions elsewhere. The timeline — work to commence by February 2028 — places it as a longer-term project alongside the more immediate airport expansions in Lahore and Karachi.
Sources: Dawn, 30 Oct
