Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has signed off on expansion plans for the airports in Karachi and Lahore, instructing officials to bring passenger facilities up to international norms and finish the works within set deadlines. He made the decision at a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, where he said passenger comfort must stay the foremost concern and that construction cannot come at the expense of quality.
The prime minister also asked for reforms and expansion work to be independently verified, and called on internationally recognised organisations to assess and improve passenger services.
Staff training, catering and agency coordination
Shehbaz said airport employees who help travellers should receive routine training in service delivery. He also called for better coordination among the various agencies operating inside airports.
He urged airports to engage reputable caterers, insisting that food standards must never slip. The meeting was briefed on a recent survey by an international firm that assessed passenger facilities at major airports, along with ongoing upgrade projects at other airports under the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Runway works, e-gates and air cargo village
Officials told the meeting that the runway extension at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport had been completed. The meeting was also told that the CAA had made 14 airports operational for domestic flights over the past year.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has increased staffing and the number of counters to help passengers, officials said. Work on automated border management systems, or e-gates, at major airports was moving quickly, the meeting heard. A separate project, an air cargo village, is under way with the aim of turning Karachi into an air cargo hub.
At Islamabad International Airport, a meet-and-greet service has been introduced for passengers. The FIA has also set up pre-departure desks at major airports to give travellers timely guidance.
Hyderabad aviation institution to become university
The meeting was further informed that an existing aviation institution in Hyderabad is 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 and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attended, along with Prime Minister’s Adviser Muhammad Ali, lawmakers Raja Osama Sarwar and Ali Zahid, the prime minister’s coordinator Sardar Yasir Ilyas and senior officials.
