On Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave the Aviation Ministry the go-ahead to begin the public-private partnership outsourcing process for the nation’s three main airports, Jinnah International Karachi, Islamabad International, and Allama Iqbal International Lahore.
Under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, a significant discussion on matters relating to aviation and Pakistan International Airlines was conducted on Friday in Islamabad.
The prime minister sent orders to all relevant institutions directing them to begin the process of outsourcing airports as soon as possible. He additionally instructed them to consider transparency because it needs to be considered throughout the entire process.
A thorough explanation of Pakistani airport outsourcing was provided to the group. The group was informed that outsourcing airports are a common and profitable strategy that is regarded as best practice internationally.
The meeting was told that initially the two major airports of the country, Jinnah International Karachi and Islamabad International outsourcing will be done and this process will be done under a public-private partnership. Outsourcing of airports will not only bring profit to the government, but international-level facilities will also be available to the passengers at the airports.
The prime minister gave the go-ahead to establish a special committee, which he would chair, to oversee the effective and expedient conclusion of the process of outsourcing airports.
Federal Secretary Aviation Division and Federal Secretary Planning will serve on the committee, together with Federal Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, and Federal Secretary Law and Justice.
A briefing on Pakistan International Airlines’ performance was also provided, it was announced to the gathering. The gathering was informed that PIA generated 172 billion rupees in income in 2022, the greatest amount in the airline’s history.
The meeting was also informed that PIA has expanded its network and added four A-320 aircraft to its fleet, bringing the total number of flights it operates each week to 330. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s ban on PIA has been lifted, according to information provided at the conference, and plans have been developed to make PIA a viable airline.
Additionally, the gathering was informed that PIA is expanding its fleet with wide-body aircraft. A proposal to restore PIA’s brand image has been made known to the meeting. The upgraded lounges at the airports in Karachi and Lahore were also disclosed to the gathering.
The prime minister expressed happiness over PIA’s revenue and appreciated the performance of Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq and related officers and directed PIA to take steps to make it a profitable airline.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Jahanzeb Khan and relevant senior government officials participated in the meeting.
