ISLAMABAD: Khawaja Saad Rafique, Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation, on Monday, said their government had planned to upgrade major airports in Pakistan by adding modern facilities for passengers to meet international standards.
Talking to a news channel, he said, “We will offer maximum basic facilities to passengers at railway stations and airports. We will generate more revenue for the department to make it self-sufficient.”
The minister said their ministry was also planning to improve the security checks at railway stations. Rafique claimed that the government was taking several measures to boost the efficiency of the airport authority and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) services and would give travelers the best amenities possible.
According to him, a deal to run the renowned Roosevelt Hotel of the PIA in New York (USA) for three years had been inked with the city government of New York. The minister added that outsourcing did not equate to privatization, stating that three international airports, including those in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, were being so.
He said that since no Pakistani enterprise had the necessary experience, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank had also been tasked with outsourcing the airports. The airport upgrades, according to the minister, have already begun. He also mentioned that the Gwadar International Airport is currently developing and will soon be operational.
In response to a query, he stated that Quetta airport had started direct flights to Makkah for the Hajj for the first time in history, which was hassle-free and convenient for travelers. In response to a different query, he said that the administration was making practical moves, such as upgrading dangerous and unmanned railway level crossings across the nation in coordination with the relevant provincial governments. — APP
