ISLAMABAD: Following the completion of “renovation and modernisation” work, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to review the new and improved Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Monday, a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official told Dawn.

The official said that a number of missing facilities had been added to the airport during the refurbishment process, which took about nine months to complete.

A key component of the project was the construction of a 1,700x75-foot taxiway link, adjacent to the lone runway. The link will help save over Rs1 billion per annum by reducing waiting time for aircraft that are ready to land and/or take-off.

“The strategic decision should have been taken twenty years ago, but nobody bothered,” the official, who requested not to be named, remarked.

The concourse hall, where airline offices and food stalls left little space for passengers and those who came to see-off or receive them, has now been cleared of stalls and all airline offices have been centralised.

A blast-proof concrete wall has been built in front of the main terminal to separate it from the car park to make the airport more secure, while a fast-track building has been constructed near the outer gate to allow passengers with light baggage to enter and leave the airport without any hassle.

The official said that according to estimates, 2.7 million international and 1.5 million domestic passengers used the airport annually, adding that while work on the new Islamabad airport would be completed somewhere in 2016 if all goes to plan, the current airport needed these additional facilities.

He said that even after the new airport was built, the current facility could be used by budget airlines, domestic and VVIP flights, as well as by the Pakistan Air Force.

A separate car park for the employees of airport, the CAA and others working on airport premises has also been built on a piece of land acquired on lease from the military.

A separate parking lot will be constructed for employees of the CAA, PIA and others, which will be able to accommodate over 300 vehicles.

He said that some improvements had also been made to the existing parking lot, which could now accommodate over 600 vehicles and was reserved exclusively for visitors.

The Rawal Lounge has now been renamed to Business Class Lounge and has been given a new look. Its old installations had been replaced with sleek, modern furniture to create more space. High speed internet and Wi-Fi have also been provided in the lounge.

The furniture and other facilities in other lounges have also been upgraded. The number of check-in counters at the international departures lounge has been increased to 25 from 20, while business class passengers would now be able to use the fast track to go to the Business Class Lounge.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2015

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