Pakistan: PAA advances airport upgrade projects in Faisalabad, Skardu and Lahore
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
The Pakistan Airports Authority is moving ahead with airport infrastructure projects in Faisalabad, Skardu, and Lahore. The plans include a new greenfield airport, an upgraded master plan for Skardu, and a Rs26 billion terminal in Lahore.
The Pakistan Airports Authority has accelerated work on aviation infrastructure projects in Faisalabad, Skardu, and Lahore, with the initiatives aimed at improving connectivity, supporting trade and tourism, and expanding airport capacity.
The process for a new airport in Central Punjab has formally moved forward with the launch meeting for the feasibility study and master planning of the Faisalabad Greenfield Airport. The meeting marked the beginning of cooperation between the Pakistan Airports Authority and international consultancy firm DAR Al-Handasah, which is working in a joint venture with local partners OCL-Asian.
According to the report, the proposed greenfield airport is being planned as a modern facility intended to support economic activity in Central Punjab. The project is expected to contribute to trade growth, tourism promotion, and employment generation in the region.
Skardu Airport Upgrade Plan
In Gilgit-Baltistan, a new master plan has also been prepared for the upgradation of Skardu International Airport. The development is being seen as an important move toward strengthening the region’s role in tourism and economic activity.
According to an official of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, the project is intended to provide the airport with state-of-the-art facilities in line with modern aviation requirements and to accommodate rising passenger traffic.
Lahore terminal nears completion
In Lahore, work on a new passenger terminal at Allama Iqbal International Airport has reached the final phase. Project Director Tauqeer Iqbal said the Rs26 billion project is likely to be completed within the current year.
He said the new terminal will raise the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity from five million to 10 million. The facility is also set to include a number of features designed to improve operational efficiency and passenger convenience.
These include 144 arrival and departure counters, larger commercial spaces for local and international brands, advanced boarding systems and self-service machines.
The three projects reflect the authority’s broader push to modernise airport infrastructure in different parts of the country. In Faisalabad, the focus is on establishing a new aviation hub for Central Punjab; in Skardu, the emphasis is on supporting tourism and handling growing traffic; and in Lahore, the expansion is centered on increasing capacity at one of the country’s major airports.
The developments, as outlined in the report, are part of ongoing efforts to upgrade aviation facilities and improve the standard of airport services in line with current operational needs.
Reference Link:- https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/04/30/paa-advances-airport-upgrade-projects-in-faisalabad-skardu-and-lahore
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
