Flight fatigue

From the moment you arrive at the Islamabad airport till you take your airplane seat, the whole experience is littered with trouble and pain. At the outset, the only access road to the airport remains clogged for most of the time. The majority of passengers have no choice but to disembark from their vehicles at a distance and lug their baggage up to the airport. Once inside the airport the departure halls, security and check-in areas are almost jam-packed.
It is no surprise then that the passengers take a sigh of relief once on the plane after passing through this nerve-racking process. The limited aircraft parking area can hardly accommodate four to five wide-bodied aircraft at a time. The thickly populated surroundings are vulnerable to a major mishap in case of an aircraft making an emergency takeoff or landing. The airport has a single functioning runway which is another big shortcoming. In addition, passengers also face many problems – including mishandling of their baggage due to acute shortage of space. The airport presents a look worse than a decent bus terminal. The new airport close to Fatehjang has been running into inordinate delays. There is a need to complete the new airport on time.
Air-Cdre (r) Mohammad Yaqoob Khan
Rawalpindi