New Islamabad airport opens after years of delays, controversies

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad International Airport was finally inaugurated on Tuesday, after years of delays and controversies over kickbacks and substandard equipment.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the airport, expressing hope that the first greenfield airport of Pakistan would eventually emerge as one of Asia’s major aviation hubs after its operationalisation. Spanning over 4,238 acres, the airport consists of a four-level passenger terminal, two runways and parking bays for wide-body aircraft.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight landed as part of the inauguration ceremony.

Abbasi said he hoped the new airport was a source of development for the area and help bring trade and employment opportunities for the people of the region.

He commented that development depended on the continuation of the democratic process in Pakistan. “We saw certain timely benefits in dictatorships, but no nation has ever succeeded without democracy,” he said.

Constructed at a cost of Rs 100 billion, the IIA is the largest airport of Pakistan. It is capable of serving nine million passengers and 50,000 metric tonne of cargo every year in its first phase, while the modular design enables expansion to serve up to 25 million passengers per year by 2025.