Lahore’s Walton Airport was established in 1918. During the World War II, it served as a base camp for the British Army. Currently, the airport is spread over 300-400 acres of land. It is huddled between the residential societies of Falcon Complex and Askari V, and it stretches through Model Town and Gulberg. It is also home to around 9,000 trees.

Early this year, the Punjab government announced its plan to shut down the airport in order to pave the way for its Central Business District (CBD) project. A business hub is to be set up in place of Walton Airport, with the purpose of developing the area into an economic zone for commercial purposes and make the most efficient use of the land. However, doing so will mean the shutting down of air safari businesses that used the airport to fly their small planes for tours. The facility was also used by hobbyists. Additionally, it was being used to train pilots and others belonging to related fields.

The Lahore Flying Club, established in 1930, is known to be the oldest training institute in the country. The number of pilots it has trained is said to be greater than those by any other training institute in Asia. No wonder it is of great historical significance. Sadly, it will now be just history.

TNS recently approached some people in the business of air safaris. They came across as rather unhappy with the recent developments. Mr X from the Flying Club, who wished to remain anonymous, said wistfully, “There’s been no flying in the past 10 months. We’ve been greatly affected. We were already suffering losses because of the Covid-19 situation. Yet, we must bear the operational costs.”

He also spoke of hiring “a few lawyers to fight our case in the Lahore High Court, which incurred added expenses. The courts took their own sweet time in reaching a meaningful decision.

“The court has told us to move to the Lahore International Airport until the Muridke Airport is ready for operations. Again, no timeline was given. Also, this isn’t the most efficient and cost-effective outcome for our business.”

The Lahore Flying Club, established in 1930, is known to be the oldest training institute in the country. The number of pilots it has trained is said to be greater than that for any other training institute in Asia. No wonder it is of great historical significance. Sadly, it will now be just history.

In addition to the financial losses the Flying Club is bearing, its students are also suffering, as they are not being issued the licences. Moreover, not much training activity has been going on. They have over 2,000 employees who haven’t been paid for more than half a year. No financial compensation has been offered by the government either.

Mr Y from Hybrid Aviation, who was also unwilling to be named, narrated a similar story: “We shall be moving to the Lahore International Airport, and are expected to work from there until the Muridke Airport is ready. The careers of scores of people are at stake. Besides, we have hundreds of students we are unable to train due to the situation. There’s been no flying in the past six months or so. This has left us without any income.”

Hybrid Aviation is also experiencing huge operational costs due to the logistical arrangements. They have requested the court to allow them to use the Walton Airport until the one in Muridke starts functioning, but to no avail.

Also, no financial compensation has been offered.

On the flipside, it may be asked whether such a large piece of land, right in the heart of Lahore, should be retained for hobbyists and general air safari businesses. If the land can be used more efficiently, then what’s the harm?

In Pakistan, only 3 percent of the land is occupied by cities. These cities, in turn, generate 75 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It may be that no metropolitan city can afford the luxury of letting prime commercial land be used by a flying club. For comparison, imagine the area occupied by the Liberty Market to be an airport and compute the opportunity cost.

However, at the same time it is crucial that some concessions are made. The businesses that have had to face the brunt of the new commercial venture should be compensated for their losses. They should also be given a reliable timeline on the Muridke Airport. In the meantime, they should be afforded an alternative arrangement that works for them.

Also, the greenery should be preserved without a second thought. The PTI has been so big on growing trees and taking care of the environment. It will be supremely hypocritical if the old beautiful trees here are chopped down.

The writer is a training and development advisor at a German development organisation. She can be reached at saniyanasir3@gmail.com