ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: New Islamabad International Airport is an under construction international airport in Attock District which will be completed by the end of 2016.
The Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Aviation Captain Shujaat Azeem while talking to private news channel said that the 90 per cent of the work was completed and it was likely that the project would be finished by the end of this year.
He said that cost of PC-1 had increased as the Prime Minister ordered 13 aero bridges instead of nine.
He said that in addition, the initial PC-1 cost included only the runway, taxi track and the building.
“It did not include radar, ATC tower, baggage handling, Air Field lightening and security system,” he added.
He also said that National Highway Authority (NHA) was working on a fast track for the airport.
Captain Shujat expressed that the new airport would have ILS CAT III system, that would provide precision landing and help flight operations during low visibility and fog.
“An ILS operates as ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision lateral and vertical guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), such as low ceilings or reduced visibility due to fog, rain, or blowing snow”, he explained.
He told that the system was currently functional in Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore.
“After the new airport is operational, the existing Benazir International Airport will be used as a domestic airport”, he said.
According to a report, The Aviation Division in a briefing to National Assembly in March 2015 stated that the airport would be completed by the end of 2016.
The airport project was conceived in 1984 and The Planning Commission ,1 was prepared in 2004 construction on the project began in 2007.
Source: APP