New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) is ready for operations and can be inaugurated any day, sources in the civil aviation authority (CAA) told Business Recorder. The NIIA is at the finishing stages, and is almost ready to be inaugurated any day. The spokesperson CAA told Business Recorder that 97 percent of the work on the new airport has been completed and is ready to commence domestic as well as international flights while gas, electricity and water issues have been resolved.

The new inauguration date will be decided by the Prime Minister but it could be in December 2017 or in January 2018, she added. The only delay is from the National Highway Authority (NHA) which has yet to complete its 6 lane signal free road. Work on the third runway is yet to start however the need for a third runway is still under-consideration, and would depend on any future expansion plans as a consequence of expected air traffic.

The third runway is not expected to be completed before 2030, sources said, even though a survey of the area where the runway would be built has been conducted.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi recently directed the NHA to complete 6-lane signal free road to the airport before November 22 this year, a completion date that was accepted by the Chairman NHA.

The metro bus extension from Peshawar Morr to the airport is around 26 kilometres-long and is still under construction by four separate contractors. The project, which will cost Rs 15 billion to complete, will see commute time cut to just 40 minutes.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017