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Prime Minister to inaugurate Multan Airport phase I on June 19
RECORDER REPORT
MULTAN (May 28 2010): Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani will inaugurate the first phase of Multan airport upgradation on June 19. Chinese Xinjiang Bexien Construction Company Wednesday handed over the completion certificate to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Director North of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said we have very successfully completed the first phase of upgradation of Multan airport and it is expected that Boeing, Jambo, airbus and wide bodied cargo plane operation would begin from June 1st, 2010.
Air blue, Emirate Airlines, Lufthansa and other airlines intend to introduce direct flights from Multan for Dubai, Abudhabi, London, Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, he added.
CAA had earmarked Rs 4.5 billion (US $72.9 million) for the upgradation of Multan Airport at the international standards. From the total allocated budget of Rs 4.5 billion, Rs 3.5 billion is being spent by CAA from its Annual Development Program Budget (ADB) whereas the remaining amount of Rs 1 billion is being covered by Government of Pakistan.
President of Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan hailed the fulfilment of commitment of upgradation of Multan airport for giving it international status by the government, terming it a long-standing dream of Multan Chamber, which came true. Now wide-bodied planes could be landed here easily, he added. He said that not only PIA but also other airlines should launch their cargo as well passengers operations for international destinations, from Multan.
He hoped that the step would help in promotion of export of mango, citrus, fresh vegetables to Gulf as well as European countries. Awan said Pakistani mango was liked by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom but PIA had provided little space for Multani exporters of mangoes which must be equal to the requirement, besides providing other facilities like subsidised freight.
It may be recalled that Multan airport was expanded so that wide-bodied aircraft could land and take off for direct international passenger and cargo flights. The runway was extended from 9,000 to 11,000 feet, increasing the width of runway to 150 feet with 25 feet shoulders on each side thus the runway was upgraded to category E (suitable for Boeing 747 aircraft). Other improvements included expansion of terminal buildings in second phase.
The first phase, expansion of runway, taxiway and apron was carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 1.8 billion while the second phase includes construction of a new terminal building and the allied facilities. It is expected that Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani would inaugurate the first phase in the first week of June 2010.
