ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to lease out the new Islamabad International Airport to interested international investors in the first phase following practical difficulties in outsourcing the two international airports of Karachi and Lahore.
So far, New Islamabad International Airport has been described as a “clean” transaction compared to other airports. Hence, the government is considering going ahead with its outsourcing as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in its presentation to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the federal capital said that there are interested parties in securing the operations of these three airports.
However, it will not be easy for the government to move quickly as it has not yet announced the outsourcing of any airport.
“There are some practical issues that need to be resolved before handing over the airport to any international party. For example, the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has become insolvent in various facilities of these airports. Chiki Hai,” confirmed top government sources while talking to JEE News.
“If the government also takes over the previous responsibilities of PIA, how will the new airport operator allow free facilities to the carrier? That was one of the key concerns that needed to be addressed before moving forward.”
Officials said, “Parts of the airports in Karachi and Lahore are occupied by some concerned agencies, so a permanent solution is needed as potential investors would like to use the entire airport for commercial purposes.” ” Officials said.
The Airport Security Force (ASF) has also become a hindrance in completing this transaction.
It is to be seen how the government solves these problems. Sources said that the government is trying hard to outsource the New Islamabad International Airport before the completion of its tenure in the second week of August 2023, but it seems difficult to do so.
Dar also chaired a high-level meeting and directed the Transaction Advisor to prepare a viable plan to transfer Islamabad Airport to any interested party with experience in running the airport.
Sources further confirmed that “the government has envisaged a deadline of next month for the completion of the transaction and tasked the World Bank’s IFC as the transaction advisor to come up with a viable plan. has gone.”
The Transaction Adviser and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have been directed to speed up the complete speed work so that the New Islamabad International Airport can be outsourced within the stipulated period.
According to an official statement issued by the finance ministry, Dar chaired a meeting of the steering committee to oversee the outsourcing of airport operations in the finance division.
During the meeting, IFC and the transaction advisor gave a presentation to the committee, which decided on a future roadmap for outsourcing the first airport to improve service delivery and match international best practices.
Aviation and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Government Effectiveness Dr Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, Aviation Secretary, CAA were present in the meeting. DG, representatives of IFC and senior officers of Finance and Aviation attended.
