State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs on Thursday informed the Senate that the Bacha Khan Airport will be operational by May 31 this year.
He was responding to questions of lawmakers during the Question Hour session in the upper house of the Parliament. About 80% construction work of the airport had been completed the minister said adding the ongoing flight operation at the airport was causing delay in the construction work.
He said the expansion project was inaugurated in March 2016 and many facilities of international standard would be provided to the passengers at the new airport.
Suggestion to change the names of all airports of the country with the names of national heroes was under consideration, the minster said adding “I have proposed to change the name of Islamabad airport with the name of Quaid-e-Azam.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan agreed to the suggestion and names of the airports would soon be changed.
He said the present government had opened new routes from Peshawar to the Gulf countries. Earlier people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to take flights to the Gulf countries from other airports.
He said there was no suggestion to start flights to central Asia from Peshawar, however it could be reviewed if the trade and tourist activities were increased.
Answering a question of on-board catering, the minister said that PIA had a huge network of catering service to meet the requirement of national and international flights.
Apart from their own kitchen in Islamabad and Karachi, PIA awarded tender to the caterers in accordance with the PEPRA rules.
He said PIA maintained the basic standards and quality of the food provided to the passengers during flight, however it was not up to the slandered of international airlines.
He said the process of reforms in PIA also continued to bring the airline at par with international airlines and in seeking the excellence PIA had fired 200 ghost employees.
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