PM Shehbaz approves expansion plans for Karachi, Lahore airports

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved expansion plans for Karachi and Lahore airports, directing authorities to improve passenger facilities in line with international standards and complete the projects within stipulated timelines.

Chairing a meeting on airport expansion and passenger services in Islamabad on Thursday, the prime minister stressed that passenger convenience must remain the top priority and ordered that quality should not be compromised during construction.

He also directed authorities to ensure third-party validation of reforms aimed at improving airport facilities and expansion projects, and called for the services of internationally recognised organisations to assess and improve passenger services.

Shehbaz said airport staff responsible for assisting passengers should receive regular training in service delivery, while coordination among the various agencies operating at airports should be strengthened.

He also called for engaging reputable caterers at airports, stressing that food quality must not be compromised.

The meeting was briefed on a recent survey conducted by an international firm to assess passenger facilities at major airports, as well as the expansion plans for Karachi and Lahore airports and ongoing development and upgradation projects at other airports under the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Officials told the meeting that the extension of the runway at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport had been completed.

The meeting was also informed that the CAA had made 14 airports operational for domestic flights over the past year. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had increased staffing and the number of counters to facilitate passengers, officials said.

Work on installing automated border management systems, or e-gates, at major airports was progressing rapidly, the meeting was told. Work was also under way on an air cargo village aimed at developing Karachi into an air cargo hub.

At Islamabad International Airport, a meet-and-greet service had been introduced to facilitate passengers, while the FIA had established pre-departure desks at major airports to provide timely guidance to travellers.

The meeting was further informed that an existing aviation institution in Hyderabad was being upgraded into an internationally standard aviation university, with work expected to begin by February 2028.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Prime Minister’s Adviser Muhammad Ali, lawmakers Raja Osama Sarwar and Ali Zahid, the prime minister’s coordinator Sardar Yasir Ilyas and senior officials attended the meeting.

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