CAA to set up 'airport cities'

[Abbas Ali]

KARACHI, Jan 23: The Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Mr Farooq Rehmatullah, on Tuesday unveiled a plan to develop two commercial and residential projects, to be called the "Airport City", near Karachi and Lahore airports.

The projects would be developed on 1,000 and 350 acres of the CAA land in two cities, he said.

He said that the projects had been approved by the authority's board of directors and work on preparing a master plan would begin soon.

He said that the estimated cost of the "Airport City" project was around US$4.5 billion, which would be financed by the foreign investors. "This project will take seven to eight years to complete,"he added.

According to him, cost of the Karachi project would be US$ 3.5 billion and that of the Lahore project $1 billion.

Mr Rehmatullah said that the new Islamabad International Airport project was on track and the earth work would begin on February 1.

"It is a CAA-financed project with an estimated cost of Rs30 billion and would be completed in three and a half years' time," he said.

About new Gwadar airport, he said that development work would start in May this year and the Rs2.6 billion project would be completed by April 2009.

The CAA wanted to revamp Multan airport. An amount of Rs2.5 billion is required for the project.

"President Gen Pervez Musharraf has announced Rs1 billion for the airport and we are talking with the government for the rest of the amount," he said.

Mr Rehmatullah said that the radar and navigation system being used in the country was 35 to 40 years old and needed replacement.

The system at all airports is being upgraded and the replacement work at Karachi and Lahore airports would cost 60 million Euros.

He denied reports that the CAA had been divided into three separate entities as a result of restructuring.

Source: DAWN

Related Topic: CAA restructuring to enhance efficiency

On the Net: Civil Aviation Authority - Pakistan

[TAILWIND]

what a stupid idea..... the primary role and responsibilty of CAA is the regulate the aviation inustry in the country. Imrpove airport facilities, enhance safety, better navigational and survellience equipment......leave the 5 star hotels and residential estates to others. better upgrade the ils at fog effected airports, have better radars and imrove monitoring of airlines......nut shell rstrict to your core job

[PK777]

Why not expand the Allama Iqbal Airport or Jinnah Intl or extend the airport there is no much potential for LHE! Just check out all the space around LHE - they could build a large engineering complex with a "Isphani Hangar" like building at LHE with power up ramp etc.. maybe one day..

[behramjee]

I think that the CAA should purchase many luxury coaches/buses and have them drive 3-4 daily times on key routes to mainly facilitate international arriving passengers into ISB and LHE bound for cities such as Sialkot, FAS, MUZ and MUX.

for example, if u have ever flown into delhi between 9pm-4am, you will notice that there are many privately owned bus companies to take international and domestic arriving passengers on their buses every 30-45 minutes from DEL airport to Amritsar, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Rajkot and Jullunder. This is a thriving business at DEL airport.

[PK777]

CAA doesnt do that - but other private coach/bus comapnies do that already from LHE that is!

[Abbas Ali]

CAA ad in today's (August 2, 2007) newspaper.

[javed]

CAA needs to expand the LHE terminal and extend the 2nd LHE runway (old one) to full length.

[Jacobin777]

CAA needs to work with the FAA and Pakistani Govt. so it can allow pax to fly nonstop to USofA.....

...CAA needs to focus on its core functions.....not all of these "distractions"

[javed]

CAA needs to work with the FAA and Pakistani Govt. so it can allow pax to fly nonstop to USofA.....

...CAA needs to focus on its core functions.....not all of these "distractions"

Technically, even PIA flights to Canada are not NON-STOP end to end. (e.g. KHI_LHE_YYZ etc). For some strange reason, PIA hates to fly NON-STOP. Perhaps, kick backs from rival airlines are at work. National Mukmuka Bureau (NAB) needs to take a look for its share in the booty.

[nopy99]

Why the picture of a rollercoaster in the newspaper advert? Is this supposed to depict the rollercoaster ride the "foreign investors" are expected to endure in financing such a scheme?

But if in lahore you can have state life, sui gas, defence etc etc housing schemes then why not CAA.

Seriously, though. Stick to core business.

[TAC777]

Why not Askari airport cities!!!!!!!

[Hamad]

I know from Frankfurt Airport (FRAPORT) that they have a big Airport City and would like to grown up. An Airport City has 4 phases, the 3rd one have FRAPORT already completed it contains an business complex/place at the Airport. The 4th one is to built Houses where you can live.

It will be great i there is like that in PK also.
Regards

[Abbas Ali]

CAA Chalks Out $3.5bn Airport Cities Plan

Thursday, January 10, 2008
By Faryal Najeeb

KARACHI: Director General of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Farooq Rahmatullah has revealed that the CAA is looking to invest $3.5 billion to construct ‘airport cities’ offering facilities like eateries, shopping centres, entertainment ventures, international hotels and business centres, apartments etc.

Talking to The News after after inaugurating the third Makro-Habib wholesale store at Shahra Faisal near Star Gate on Wednesday, he said that the CAA has arranged to facilitate proper infrastructure such as electricity, water, gas and roads and the air port city project has international planners working on it which is yet at its initial planning stage.

The DG further informed that such a city would be initially built in Karachi and then similar projects would be replicated around Lahore and Islamabad airports to commercialise the vast number of lands surrounding them.

Rahmatullah also revealed to The News that an airport express train is being planned for which would take passengers directly from the airport to the city and cantt stations with an approximate travelling time of 7 to 8 minutes.

He said that the feasibility report for both the projects are being worked upon and it would take about 15 years for the venture to materialize in any form. He added that the Makro stores being introduced in Pakistan are ideally in line with their strategies and therefore he offers them complete support.

Regarding the political situation he said that the country’s history is full of wars and martial laws but the country has continued to grow and therefore he is optimistic about the future as “whatever the circumstances are people strive to improve and achieve success.”

Meanwhile inaugurating the third Makro- Habib wholesale store near Star Gate Farooq Rahmatullah said that with the increased focus worldwide by civil aviation bodies on revenue generation, activities based on commercial operations and effective use of real estate within and around airports are in practice.

He said that the trends in CAA Pakistan are also shifting towards exploring this aspect of revenue generation and this is the first step towards achieving the milestone.

Source: The News

[malpensa26]

What they need to focus on is getting cafes , fast food restaurants and budget and luxury hotels ASAP in walking distance to all 3 major airports. wholesale grocery centers is not what a tired intl travelor wants to visit if their flight is canceled or is in town for short business stay

[Max]

Another misguided set of priorities. How about attracting additional airline and setting up ILS-category III at Lahore.