Round-the-clock watch: Lahore airport gets new security system
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif launched the country’s first integrated security system at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore on Monday.
Maj-Gen Sohail Ahmed, director-general of the Airport Security Force, briefed the premier about the system and said that it would help ensure better security of the premises, the aircraft and the passengers.
It took the National Engineering and Scientific Commission of Pakistan (NESCOM) four months to build the Rs400 million high-tech control room at one-sixth of the cost of an imported security system, the DG added.
He said the control room would operate round-the-clock to monitor any suspicious activity or movement and alert the airport authorities. “The system is capable of monitoring the area within a radius of one-kilometre in pitch-darkness.”
The control room has been hooked up to the Pakistan Army and the security agencies. One hundred and forty-four cameras installed across the airport, with 350 LED lamps for better results, would transmit images to 17 monitoring screens in the control room.
DG Ahmed said the system had been on test run since February 24. “It is the first airport security system to be produced indigenously. This system is also being used in China.”
Appreciating the quality of the security system, PM Nawaz said the expansion of the Lahore airport should be done in a meaningful manner, keeping in view the expected increase in the number of passengers and air traffic in the next 10-15 years.
He termed the infrastructure an asset for the country and said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would impact all national sectors and generate economic activity.
Capt (retd) Shujaat Azeem, the premier’s adviser on aviation, also briefed Nawaz on the measures taken for improving the facilities for the passengers.
Azeem said that since last January, 14 new aircraft had been added to the fleet of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and nine more would be included by the year-end. “This is the first time that the PIA has inducted such a large number of planes in such a short period of time.” The projected fleet size by year-end is 44, with an average fleet age of nine years, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2015.
Emirates announces service to Multan
Airline to launch its sixth destination in Pakistan on August 1
PUBLISHED:16:40 JUNE 9, 2015
Gulf News
STAFF REPORT
Dubai:
Emirates, on Tuesday announced its plans to launch services to Multan, Pakistan, beginning 1st August, 2015.
Service to Multan, Pakistan’s 5th largest city by population, will commence with four weekly flights operated by a Boeing 777-300 in a two-class configuration — 54 seats in Business Class and 310 in Economy Class. The aircraft can carry up to 23 tonnes of cargo, opening up many more trade opportunities in the region.
Multan is one of the world’s oldest cities with a rich history as a cultural and trade hub. Located on the banks of the Chenab River in the Punjab province of Pakistan, Multan is famous for agricultural products such as wheat, cotton, sugar cane, mangoes, citrus, guavas, and pomegranates.
Multan is also a commercial and industrial centre, well connected with other industrial hubs such as Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Quetta and Faisalabad. The major industries in Multan include fertiliser, cosmetics, glass manufacturing, cotton production and processing, large textile units, flour mills, sugar, and oil mills. Exports from the region include traditional Multani shoes, embroidery on dresses for women and men, furniture, wooden products, pottery, camel-skin ware, surgical instruments and carpets.
flydubai touches down in Quetta
By Wam
Published Thursday, June 11, 2015
http://www.emirates247.com/business/...06-11-1.593491
Dubai-based flydubai’s inaugural flight to Quetta landed today and was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. The flight marks the start of a direct air link between Dubai and flydubai’s fourth destination in Pakistan.
Receiving the aircraft was the Governor Balochistan, Muhammad Khan Achakzai along with senior airport and government officials.
flydubai first began flights to Pakistan in 2010 to Karachi, flydubai’s 20th destination on its network which has now grown to over 90 points. In 2013, flights to Sialkot and Multan were launched and the air carrier now operates 27 flights a week to Pakistan. flydubai has announced 16 destinations this year.
CAA issues tender for expansion and renovation of Quetta Airport - new lounges with boarding bridges coming soon.
flydubai takes off to fifth destination in Pakistan
Published June 15th, 2015 - 11:58 GMT
Dubai-based carrier flydubai announced today direct daily flights to Faisalabad, the 3rd largest city in Pakistan, together with an increase in the frequency of the airline’s flights to Pakistan, doubling the size of its network in the country.
The daily service to Faisalabad will commence on 10 July-2015 increasing to nine flights per week from 03 August-2015. From 10 July-2015 flydubai will also increase the frequency of its flights to Karachi up to 28 flights per week, to Multan up to nine flights per week and starting from 13 July-2015 to Sialkot up to eight flights per week.
The airline started flying to Pakistan five years ago in June 2010 and with the launch of flights to Faisalabad brings the number of weekly flights to all points in Pakistan to 57.
Commenting on the newest route announcement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said: “Since the launch of our first flight to Pakistan in 2010 we continue to see growing demand in the region for direct flights to Dubai and onwards. Our aviation hub in Dubai serves as a gateway to more than 250 international destinations available through our interline agreements and we will continue to connect previously under served markets.”
Faisalabad becomes the 16th destination to join the flydubai network since the start of 2015. The air carrier’s extensive network includes over 90 destinations within a 6 hour flying radius from Dubai and includes business and leisure destinations in Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Eastern Europe, the GCC and Middle East, Russia and the Subcontinent. flydubai operates a fleet of new 48 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft with an average age of around 3.1 years.
“With the start of flights to Faisalabad and the increase in flights across our network in Pakistan we remain committed to providing our passengers with the best service and convenient and affordable travel options,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent, Africa) at flydubai.
Sialkot Exporters planning to launch own airline: SCCI
Reported by:Customs Today Report June 19, 2015
SIALKOT: Local business community of Sialkot is actively considering over launching its own airline in future.
This was said by President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Fazal Jilani while talking to APP on Friday.
He said the name of airline would be
“Iqbal Air” and initial work on the mega project was in progress, adding that exporters and manufactures were taking keen interest in the proposed project.
Fazal said Iqbal Air hopefully would be operational in mid of the next year which will touch different countries and it will open a new era of development and prosperity as well as generate employment opportunities.
The SCCI president said the business community of Sialkot will demonstrate great passion in launching of Iqbal Air to cope with their demands.