Pakistan to install state-of-the-art machines at airports

ISLAMABAD – As part of the efforts to improve security, the government of Pakistan has decided to install the latest luggage-checking machines at airports.

The machines will be installed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ahead of the Hajj operation for which the arrangements have been made.

After the deployment of machines, pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia will be thoroughly checked before boarding the planes.

The government of Pakistan is procuring the machines from Saudi Arabia and it is expected that the installation will be complete by next month.

Through the same machines, the luggage of people going to Saudi Arabia will be examined to prevent smuggling or to thwart carrying prohibited items including drugs.

The Air Security Force (ASF) is expected to replace the old machines gradually as part of the measures to ramp up efforts against illicit items though it is still not sure which airport would first get the machines.

The plans to upgrade the system come after the Director General of Civil Aviation revealed that even the latest machines installed at the airports in Pakistan cannot detect ice – Crystal methamphetamine – drugs.

Senator Hidayatullah recently chaired a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation, where the DG Civil Aviation briefed the members about the machines and their inefficiency in detecting drugs, ARY News reported. 

It bears mentioning that the government of Pakistan is revamping airports across the country and is also installing e-gates in all three major airports in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. 

The government has also decided to outsource the operations at the Islamabad International Airport for 15 years.

As far as the services to be outsourced are concerned, only the operation and management of specific airport components would be outsourced, while critical services such as the Air Traffic Control Tower, Rescue and fire Fighting Services and Air Navigation services would remain under the administrative control of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

The successful bidder would pay an initial amount and a percentage of revenue earned from the airport, adding that a one-time initial payment of $100 million is required from the successful bidder.