Mahtab inspects work at airport

PESHAWAR: Adviser to the prime minister on aviation Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan has said that Peshawar is the capital and heart of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and has an important destination due to its geographical location and its strategic importance in the region. In this regard, he added, it was very important to provide the best air transport facilities to passengers at Peshawar airport and therefore the project of renovation and expansion of Bacha Khan International Airport is nearing completion at a cost of Rs3 billion.He expressed these views during his surprise visit to the airport on Sunday. Officials of the aviation division and Civil Aviation Authority were also present on the occasion. Sardar Mahtab inspected the different sections of the airport and reviewed the ongoing renovation and expansion work. Director Planning CAA Nadir Shafi Dar and Manager Peshawar Airport Samar Rafique gave a detailed briefing to the adviser on the renovation and expansion work. He said that under the project, modern domestic and international lounges have been completed to ensure the provision of modern facilities to the passengers and international lounge will have the capacity of more than 1000 passengers while domestic lounge can accommodate 500 passengers at a time. The renovation project includes three passenger boarding bridges, modern electronic lifts, rapid drop lanes and fast track system and multi-storey car parking.

A mosque with different facilities was also included in the project, he added. The adviser directed the officials to establish the new power plant at the airport. He added that the mosque should be constructed in an Islamic architecture with more prayers capacity.

He also instructed the officials concerned to ensure the provision of the best facilities to the passengers as per international standards.

The adviser directed to ensure the use of quality construction material in the project, adding that no compromise would be made in this regard. Earlier, Mahtab visited different sections of the airport and reviewed the pace of work. He also examined the facilities provided to passengers at the lounges.