PIA to announce flight schedule within couple of days

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan International Airline (PIA) would announce its tentative flight schedule within couple of days for plying flights between Islamabad and Sialkot.
This was revealed by Chief Executive Sialkot International Airport Khawar Anwar Khawaja at a special ceremony held on the landing of PIA test flight PK-613 at Sialkot International Airport on Saturday afternoon. He said that PIA would initially start three flights between these cities.
The mega project of Sialkot International Airport costing more than Rs.2 billion has a great significance because it was solely financed by the private sector and so far the private sector had not built a project of this magnitude and size in the country even in South Asia whereas the new Islamabad airport would be accomplished with an estimated cost of Rs.20 billion.
President Pervez Musharraf had approved the project of Sialkot International Airport and help fulfilling dream of the business community of this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry of the country Khawar Khawaja said. He said that business community of Sialkot had played a dominated role in undertaking the mage project elegantly on self-reliance basis for fulfilling their dream.
The Chief Executive appealed to the Chairman PIA that take adequate steps for starting passenger and cargo flights between Sialkot-Lahore and Karachi at earliest possible to facilitate the general public and business community of the area. Speaking on the occasion the General Manager Flight Services Zulfiqar Ahmad said that Sialkot International Airport is an ideal airport that has all modern facilities of international standards. He was of the opinion that Sialkot airport would be the busiest airport of the country in future adding that it would an instrumental role during the bad weather especially in foggy season and ensuring landing of diverted flights.
The runway of the airport is excellent having the facilities of international standards the General Manager Flight Service said. The GM Flight Services assured that direct flight for Europe and Middle East as well as other destinations would be introduced from Sialkot. The Deputy General Manager Operation PIA Zia-ur-Rehman also spoke on the occasion and expressed his full satisfaction over the facilities provided at the airport.
It may be mentioned that most modern Apron having the parking capacity for six wide-bodies aircrafts or three airbus plus F-27 aircrafts had been constructed at the airport. Besides 3600 meter long, 45-meter wide taxiway had been constructed. The longest international runway of the country measuring 3.6 KM had been constructed and it will cater the requirements of all aircrafts used for international and domestic cargo and passenger traffic. The work on main passengers terminal was in full swing however temporary arrangements had been made accommodating the domestic passengers at the airport.
This modern and professionally designed airport had undertaken on Build, Own and Operate (BOO) basis and has been developed over 1004 acres of land and fully equipped for handling B747-400, A300 and 737 aircrafts. The potential traffic forecast for Sialkot international airport is scaled down at the time of opening to 530339 passengers a year while estimated cargo tonnage at the time of opening is expected to be 28515 tons.
This means that by the end of year 2012 about 53,000 tones of cargo will be lifted from Sialkot International Airport. Due to the provision of passenger facilities at Sialkot International Airport, it was estimated that the general public would benefit to the tune of over Rs.2 billion in terms of time and money savings. Similarly, cargo handling at the airport would save more than Rs.1 billion for the businesses. The total saving of at least Rs.3 billion annually would be a perpetual benefit.—PR