ISLAMABAD – Three of Pakistan’s top airports have been ranked in terms of the revenue they generated over a period of three years.
In an official report presented by Aviation Division on Monday, the revenue generated by the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, and Islamabad International Airport was highlighted.
According to the official figures, the Islamabad International Airport topped the list in terms of earnings – a fact surprising to say the least considering that the facility was inaugurated a few years ago as compared to two other airports.
The Aviation Division presented a detailed report to the National Assembly and in that report, the revenue generated by the three airports was highlighted as under:
- Islamabad International Airport generated Rs46 billion in revenue.
- Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore earned Rs44 billion
- Jinnah International Airport in Karachi generated Rs40 billion in revenue
The revenue mentioned above was generated over a span of the last three years as per the Aviation Division.
In its report, the division also revealed plans regarding the outsourcing of these three airports but it was assured that the civil aviation authority would retain ownership of the airports’ assets.
It bears mentioning that the government has announced to outsource the Islamabad International Airport for 15 years and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique told lawmakers recently that the move does not equate to privatization.
Instead, it aims to bring in proficient operators to enhance airport operations, he said.
Khawaja Saad Rafique emphasized that open competitive bidding would be ensured, allowing the best bidder to be given the opportunity to operate the airport. The process, he said, will be profit-oriented, ultimately benefiting the national exchequer.
The International Finance Corporation will serve as the consultant, and already 12-13 companies have shown interest in participating in the bidding process, he added. The minister assured that the process would be transparent and adhere to all rules and regulations; however, the minister clarified that the runway and navigation operations would not be included in the outsourcing process.
Highlighting the success of outsourced airports in other countries like India and Turkiye, Khawaja Saad Rafique mentioned that even Madina airport has been efficiently outsourced to deliver enhanced services.
The minister also stressed the need to restructure Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to address its substantial deficit, which has reached Rs80 billion this year and is projected to increase to Rs259 billion by 2030 if not dealt with appropriately.
