QUETTA: Quetta airport on Wednesday received the first flight on its new, upgraded runway, which officials say can handle wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 in all kinds of weather and no matter which part of the day.

The first flight to land on the new runway on Wednesday was PK-325 of PIA, which had taken off from Islamabad.

The runway — whose upgrade cost Rs5 billion according to a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson — is equipped with the latest lighting system to help planes take off and land at the airport 24/7.

Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo has urged the national flag carrier and other airlines to increase the number of flights to and from Quetta. He appreciated the CAA for completing the project.

“With this latest development, now Boeing 777 and its equivalent passenger heavy aircraft will be able to land in Quetta in all types of weather day and night,” Mr Bizenjo said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said Quetta had significant commercial importance because it’s near Iran and Afghanistan.

Presently, PIA runs its flights between Quetta and Islamabad four days a week and two flights to and from Lahore. Private airlines have also reduced the number of Islamabad-Quetta flights.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2023