BAHAWALPUR: With the government’s move to privatise the PIA in the works, the Bahawalpur airport and airlines’ district office may also face closure in near future.

At present, the local airport is non-operational since the discontinuation of the Karachi-bound flights operation whereas flights to Lahore and Islamabad were suspended long before. At the same time, things were also moving swiftly to close down the PIA’s district office, leaving its employees in a state of uncertainty at a time of airline’s sell-off.

The Bahawalpur airport was constructed during the late Gen Ziaul Haq’s rule. Over the years PIA established its independent district-level office with facilities of ticketing and cargo as well. It introduced flights to Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.

Later, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made the airport serviceable for night take-off and landing.

The PIA district office came under financial stress around 2017 when total monthly flights were reduced to eight from 28. Later, these flights were also suspended on the plea that after the Multan airport had become an international airport, it would accommodate passengers both on international and national routes.

Sources said the CAA may keep the airport operational for emergency flights of the armed forces and VVIPs.

It is also learnt that PIA district office staff members may be offered golden handshake. In this respect, a source told Dawn that the lists of the PIA’s local staff have almost been finalised and communicated to the higher authorities for further decision and implementation.

Local business community has expressed concern over the government’s apathy in this respect. Public circles have also approached the Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman for his personal intervention in the issue.

President Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali Mann of the Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has opposed the closure of local airport and the PIA district office.

IT LAB: Governor Balighur Rehman inaugurated an advance IT lab at the Government Technical Training Institute, Bahawalpur.

The lab has been established with the cooperation of China.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023