Call to resume flight training operations at Walton airport

LAHORE:Flight training operations should be allowed to resume at Walton Airport until the new promised facility at Muridke is constructed and operational, demanded Lahore Flying Club’s instructors and students in a press conference held at Lahore Press Club here on Monday.

According to the instructors, Civil Aviation Authority had ordered Walton Airport, a nearly 100-year-old heritage aviation facility in Lahore be replaced by high-rise commercial buildings for earning greater revenues. According to them, as per court orders, flight operations will continue at Walton Airport but CAA violated and committed contempt of court.

On May 25, the CAA ordered stopping flight training operations at Walton Airport, showing disregard of the court’s stay order. They showed their concerns and said around 500 people will be unemployed by this act. Federal government had said that they will construct aviation facility at Muridke and Faisalabad, they would be shifted, but nothing was made there, they said during the press conference. According to them, there will be Rs3 billion loss of investment by flying schools, additionally it is bound to leave many diligent flying instructors and engineers unemployed.