Airports!!

[Contrarian]

Is Pakistan building new Airports or upgrading the existing ones??

MOD EDIT: Pakistan related threads only

 

[Neo]

Well Karachi and Lahore have new airports, Islamabad and Gwadar is under construction.

Multan and Hyderabad airports are being renovated and extended while plans exist to expand Peshwar, Faisalabad and Nawabshah airport aswell.

Plans to build airports in Sialkot and, Sargodha, Bela and Thatta are in the pipeline.

 

[Janbaz]

I have a question? Is the Sialkot airport built and shall it cater to international flights. Because i have been hearing that it is in construction and in your post Neo brother i see that it is only a plan.

 

[Awesome]

Karachi and Lahore have pretty cool and updated airports.

 

[Keysersoze]

Yeah I was impressed when I saw Karachi airport.
It was a huge improvement over the crappy Islamabad airport.

 

[Janbaz]

I love Lahore airport. Awesome lounge and waiting areas plus views are impeccible.

 

[melb4aust]

I have a question? Is the Sialkot airport built and shall it cater to international flights. Because i have been hearing that it is in construction and in your post Neo brother i see that it is only a plan.

My friends who are living in Sialkot told me that, it has already been completed plus the opening ceremony has already been done. But according to this website, its still under construction. The Airport will be used for international flights and will share the load of Lahore international airport. Thats why they call it SIAL(Sialkot International Airport). Also dont forget, the Govn is also constructing a MOTORWAY, from Sialkot to Lahore with an estimated travel time of 45 mins between the both cities.

Visit:
http://www.sial.com.pk/# (Dont forget to wath 3D view in the MasterPlan section)
Progress Report:
http://www.sial.com.pk/onsite.htm

The Airport possess on of the longest runways in the world, and can be used to land an AIRBUS A380, which most of the airports still lacks.

One amazing thing, before the start of the project, there were several issues:
1st whose gonna sponsor the whole project, Pakistani Gov refused to give a single penny, in the end it was decided that the goverment will provide the space and all the construction budget$$$ will be paid or handelled by the industrialists living there and who are going to use the facility.
2nd issue occured, when they find out that the runway is very close to the border with india and especially before landing, the aircrafts may have to go around the airport to make a loop which they usually do at airports to killtime to give way to other flights, there is a possibility that aircraft may enter into indian airspace or in danger zone, so they cancelled the plan to contstruct the airport at original place, in the end choose the space to build it some where in the country(near RORAS village) about 25 kms away from the city.

 

[Awesome]

One thing cool about Sialkot is they have often lost out on getting government funding and always manage to muster up the funds themselves...

The one below is Jinnah Terminal in Karachi and the top one is Allama Iqbal Airport in Lahore. Jinnah terminal was once one of the top airports in Asia.

I too think that it needs another upgrade to bring it to standards like those of the pictures. It was done 10-15 years ago.

You need to check out Dubai Airport! Its soon to become the size of Dubai itself!

http://www.dubaiairport.com/DIA/English/MainMenu/Airport+Guide/Virtual+Tour-Terminal+Maps/

It is already way too modern for most upcoming airports to compete and its so heavily under construction anyway. Compare it to those ancient looking JFK, Heathrow, Gatwick, airports.

 

[Asian.Century]

Now:

 

[Asian.Century]

Safety rules violated by CAA(Civil Aviation Authority)

IT is time Pakistan’s military establishment decided whether security of citizens is the major objective or welfare and housing projects for its personnel is its priority.

Airports in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Islamabad have had residences constructed within the no – construction zones, posing a threat to safety of air passengers. Whenever a wide-bodied jumbo aircraft takes off, lives of over 400 passengers are jeopardised because of criminal greed of a few.

Construction of new town houses, an Askari project, right on the fence of new Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, jeopardises the security of every Pakistani citizen and foreigner who travel by aircraft that take off and land within a stone’s throw from these residences.

There are rules made by the International Civil Aviation Organisation which prohibits such construction within a sterile zone that extends from five to 10 kilometres around the airport periphery. This rule has been violated by both cantonment boards and the CAA in Pakistan.Why should army welfare housing projects be built on the fencing of an international airport, though this poses a potential threat from terrorists? Taking a cue from this unauthorised construction, a private residential complex is also being constructed near Lahore airport’s new terminal area within five-kilometre corridor next to a store. The CAA, which has been monopolised by retired uniformed officers, is guilty because its officials gain from such residential welfare projects.

Construction of such houses also adds to birds’ population which poses a threat to the aircraft. Should the security of the state and its citizens be compromised so that welfare housing projects can be built near airports because they have an attractive real estate value?

Have we not learnt any lessons from the security lapses at PNS Mehran as the residential areas have mushroomed around the airbase with the permission of cantonment boards dominated by men in khaki?

SHAHZAD KHALIL
Sialkot