PM directs completion of new Islamabad airport by March 2015

[Edevelop]

ISLAMABAD, March 20 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Thursday directed to complete the construction of new Islamabad International Airport by March 31, 2015, a year ahead of the previously set deadline. The Prime Minister gave the directive during his visit to the under-construction airport at the Rawalpindi-Fateh Jang Road, some 25 km from Zero Point, Islamabad, to assess the progress on the Rs 70 billion project, being undertaken to cater 15 million passengers annually. He said the new airport must be built par excellence and should provide most modern facilities to the growing number of national and international passengers. The Prime Minister directed the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the project is completed on time and face no further delays.
He directed to ensure water supply to the airport from small dams to be built by the Punjab Government.
The Prime Minister visited various sections of the under-construction airport including the arrival and departure lounges, immigration, customs and shopping areas at the main terminal building.
The airport will have 15 passenger boarding bridges and will eventually be able to handle 400,000 MT of cargo, besides 90 counters for passengers.
The Prime Minister was informed that 98 percent civil works and Hydrant refueling system was complete, while 55 percent work on the Air Traffic Complex was also complete.
The Prime Minister inquired about the reasons of delay and the cost over-runs and directed speedy investigation by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in this regard.
He directed that a dedicated power plant be installed for the airport. He said a world class system for passenger handling should be installed and must be at par with the airports of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
The Prime Minister was also informed that existing monitoring system was being strengthened.
Nawaz Sharif directed to fast track the completion process and called for simultaneous completion of different phases.
The project whose ground-breaking was done in April 2007, has been designed to complete in three phases.
Being the largest airport of South Asia, it has a modular design following the concept of Changi airport of Singapore. The delta-shaped terminal can be expanded at a later stage to cater to growing number of passengers.
The existing Islamabad airport currently caters to only 100 international and domestic flights a day with around three million passengers annually. Only 19 international flights are operating from the existing airport, while many other airlines have sought permission, but it cannot be met due to limited capacity.
Director General CAA Air Marshal (retd) Mohammad Yousaf Chaudhry in a presentation to the Prime Minister, said the Cargo Terminal was almost complete while work on the Passenger terminal was around 70 percent complete with the help of China National Construction and Frontier Works Organization.
The new airport, besides the main runway, has constructed an emergency runway while the Civil Aviation Authority has already acquired land for the third runway.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt and PM’s Advisor on Civil Aviation Shujaat Azeem, accompanied the Prime Minister.

Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - PM directs completion of new Islamabad airport by March 2015

 

[Contrarian]

The project whose ground-breaking was done in April 2007, has been designed to complete in three phases.
Being the largest airport of South Asia, it has a modular design following the concept of Changi airport of Singapore. The

Since when ?

 

[Robinhood Pandey]

this is very slow . . . very very slow progress.

Even T3 Delhi took just 3 years.

 

[seethru]

Chinese Co building this airport?

 

[arushbhai]

this is very slow . . . very very slow progress.

Even T3 Delhi took just 3 years.

Its because it started during Zardari's regime. They earned millions of rupees through corruption. Now that PMLN is in power, which is known for completing infrastructure projects on time, will finish this project on time.

 

[Edevelop]

Since when ?

Poor reporting. It was going to be the largest back in 2007.

But when Zardari came to power, there was corruption and he changed the render into this:

 

[Edevelop]

Chinese Co building this airport?

Its a joint venture of Pakistan's FWO (Frontier Works Organization) and China's CSCEC (China State Construction and Engineering Company).

The Airport Infrastructure was designed by ADPI (Aéroports de Paris ingénierie) and the Terminal Design by Singapore's CPG and Pakistan's NLC (National Engineering Services)

Two companies were hired as consultants for the project: one is the Louis Berger Group of USA while the other one is ECIL (Engineering Consultants International Ltd) of Pakistan.

 

[cloud_9]

Poor reporting. It was going to be the largest back in 2007.

Maybe someone sensible took charge of the affairs after 2007.

 

[SHAMK9]

Poor reporting. It was going to be the largest back in 2007.

But when Zardari came to power, there was corruption and he changed the render into this:

The original plan was so futuristic and modern, the new one looks ugly

 

[Edevelop]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday set the end of March next year as the new deadline for the completion of the New Islamabad International Airport.

He also ordered a high-level inquiry to determine what caused the inordinate delay in meeting its original cut-off date.

Mr Sharif on Thursday flew to the site of the under-construction airport and directed that those who mismanaged the project should be brought to book through a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)-led investigation.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azeem were also present. The secretary and director general Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made presentation to the prime minister.

Following the presentation, when the prime minister asked how much time the CAA required to make the airport fully functional, the officials sought two years, an official of the PM office told Dawn.

“Within two years, I can build a brand new airport. You only have to give the finishing touches here. Even then I am allowing you to complete the pending work within one year,” the official quoted the prime minister as saying.

During the briefing, Mr Sharif was informed that 98 per cent of the civil works and hydrant refueling systems and 55 per cent work on the air traffic control had been completed.

When the prime minister was not given a satisfactory response about the delay in the project, he ordered an investigation through the FIA.

He also asked the local police and the civil administration to help the CAA in clearing the area from encroachers.

“I need this airport to be better than any international airport in the region be it Dubai, Doha or another country with the state-of-the-art facilities in its every section,” the prime minister told the CAA administration and officials of other departments.

The prime minister directed the installation of a power plant and construction of small dams to ensure regular electricity and water supply to the airport.

Mr Sharif was informed that the airport would cater to the needs of 15 million passengers in a year.

It will have 15 boarding bridges and will be able to handle 400,000 metric tons of cargo. The prime minister ordered the installation of latest baggage handling system at the airport.

In the last week of January, a special briefing on the new airport was arranged for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly.

The PAC was informed that the groundbreaking of the project was jointly performed in April 2007 by the then president and prime minister.

To be completed within 30 months, initially the cost of the project was estimated to be Rs37 billion.

Later, PC-I of the project was revised in March 2012 at a cost of Rs66 billion.

The PAC was told the CAA had once again revised its expenditures putting them at Rs95 billion and October 2016 was the anticipated completion date of the project.

So far, five directors have overseen the project one after another.

And above all, auditors of the federal government have noted audit observations worth Rs41 billion which the prime minister wanted to be investigated.


PM wants new Islamabad airport ready by March 2015 - DAWN.COM

 

[Edevelop]

New airport not to be named after Benazir Bhutto

ISLAMABAD: The under-construction airport in the capital may not be named after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as the PML-N government has already started calling it ‘New Islamabad International Airport’.

The official handout issued after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the site of the new airport at Fatehjang on Thursday mentioned it as ‘New Islamabad International Airport’.

“We will resist such a move and lodge our protest as it will amount to carrying out personal and political vendetta,” PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Babar claimed that according to the official documents, the name of the new airport was ‘New Benazir Bhutto International Airport’ and the officials used to refer to this name in briefings during the PPP government’s tenure.

On the other hand, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, who had accompanied the prime minister during the visit, said the issue of name did not come up in the briefing.

He, however, said the previous government had named the airport at Chaklala as Benazir Bhutto airport, and how could it be possible to have two airports in one city with the same name? It could create complications, especially for the pilots, he added.

Responding to a question, the minister said the project was inaugurated by former president Gen Pervez Musharraf and his hand-picked prime minister Shaukat Aziz. How was it possible that we name it after Benazir Bhutto, he added.

Mr Rasheed said the government had not removed Benazir Bhutto’s name from any building or road, citing examples of Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Road in Rawalpindi and Benazir Income Support Programme.

 

[ziaulislam]

New airport not to be named after Benazir Bhutto

ISLAMABAD: The under-construction airport in the capital may not be named after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as the PML-N government has already started calling it ‘New Islamabad International Airport’.

The official handout issued after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the site of the new airport at Fatehjang on Thursday mentioned it as ‘New Islamabad International Airport’.

“We will resist such a move and lodge our protest as it will amount to carrying out personal and political vendetta,” PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Babar claimed that according to the official documents, the name of the new airport was ‘New Benazir Bhutto International Airport’ and the officials used to refer to this name in briefings during the PPP government’s tenure.

On the other hand, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, who had accompanied the prime minister during the visit, said the issue of name did not come up in the briefing.

He, however, said the previous government had named the airport at Chaklala as Benazir Bhutto airport, and how could it be possible to have two airports in one city with the same name? It could create complications, especially for the pilots, he added.

Responding to a question, the minister said the project was inaugurated by former president Gen Pervez Musharraf and his hand-picked prime minister Shaukat Aziz. How was it possible that we name it after Benazir Bhutto, he added.

Mr Rasheed said the government had not removed Benazir Bhutto’s name from any building or road, citing examples of Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Road in Rawalpindi and Benazir Income Support Programme.

just name it quiad-i-azam, iqbal,Fatima jinnah, or a dozen of any Pakistan movement leaders! otherwise it would be agin changed when PPPP govt takes over. the new islamabad airport name isnt going to stick

 

[Edevelop]

just name it quiad-i-azam, iqbal,Fatima jinnah, or a dozen of any Pakistan movement leaders! otherwise it would be agin changed when PPPP govt takes over. the new islamabad airport name isnt going to stick

Islamabad is a new city. It was built in the 60s, so no movement leader was from there. I think it should be left alone as just Islamabad Airport. Its the capital of the country and our independence movement was based on Islam, so the words 'Islam' 'abad' is significant in broader sense.

Iqbal is in Lahore and Jinnah in Karachi.

 

[ziaulislam]

Islamabad is a new city. It was built in the 60s, so no movement leader was from there. I think it should be left alone as just Islamabad Airport. Its the capital of the country and our independence movement was based on Islam, so the words 'Islam' 'abad' is significant in broader sense.

Iqbal is in Lahore and Jinnah in Karachi.

problem is that whenever PPPP govt coms it will rename it Benzir airport. unless is named after someone else

 

[Edevelop]

problem is that whenever PPPP govt coms it will rename it Benzir airport. unless is named after someone else

After all that corruption which left the country decades behind, does it look like they will come to power again ?

Last time they came to power because of Benazir sympathy. Now no real Bhuttos exist. Maybe Sind has not forgotten but people from other provinces have