PESHAWAR, Sept 11: Flight operations of wide-body aircraft from Peshawar airport are due to resume on Sept 14 after remaining suspended for seven days due to the execution of a foreign funded development project, according to sources.

Operations of large airliners had been halted for a week on Sept 7 to facilitate the execution of the project, launched to strengthen the airport’s 9,000ft strip.

The Civil Aviation Authority with the financial support of the Emirates airline is carrying out the project to upgrade the runway and taxi way and make it usable for its A330 aircraft.

The airline agreed to provide funds for the project to bring down its operational cost on the Peshawar-Dubai route, on which it is operating two weekly flights. After having phased out its fleet of smaller airliners, the company has rented A310 aircraft for its Peshawar-Dubai flights.

“The investment would be economical for the airline instead of continuously incurring heavy expenditure on the rented planes,” said an official.

The project, launched on July 15, would be completed in six months.

“The airlines would operate their flights between 8pm and 9am as the runway would remain closed for upgradation during the day,” said an official at the airport.

Flight operations of wide-body aircraft had to be suspended, said sources, after part of the strip was rendered unfit for landing during the upgradation.

Though the closure of flight operations affected all airlines operating at the airport, the Pakistan International Airlines appears to be the most affected.

“Over 95 per cent of our weekly flights from Peshawar were disturbed due to the project,” said a PIA official. The PIA operates 47 flights every week from the airport, including 27 international flights.