The government on Friday decided to rope in international operators to help run the three major airports in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to attract foreign direct investment and provide world-class amenities to passengers. can be done
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to discuss issues related to aviation and airports in Islamabad on Friday.
The statement added that the airports that will be outsourced include Jinnah International Airport Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore and Islamabad International Airport.
The Prime Minister also directed that all relevant departments take effective steps in the process of outsourcing. He further said that transparency should be ensured in this process.
In the meeting, a detailed briefing was given about the outsourcing of airports. It was reported that outsourcing to airports is a common profit-seeking worldwide.
It was informed that initially Islamabad International Airport and Lahore International Airport will be outsourced under Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Outsourcing of airports will not only generate revenue for the government but will also help improve facilities for international passengers.
The officials also briefed the meeting on the performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
It was reported that PIA collected a revenue of Rs 172 billion in 2022, which is the highest amount in the history of the national airline.
The meeting was informed that four new A-320 fleets have been added to PIA. Moreover, the network of the airline has also been expanded.
The meeting was informed that wide body aircraft are being added to the fleet of PIA.
Expressing his satisfaction over the performance of PIA, the Prime Minister appreciated the role of Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and the concerned officers.
