ISLAMABAD – The government of Pakistan has extended the tender deadline for the outsourcing of Islamabad International Airport one more time.
The development was confirmed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the previous deadline of May 15th stands extended to July 15th.
The government plans to generate funds through the outsourcing of airport services but is still trying to find the best party to do the job effectively in the best interest of the country and the passengers.
The Civil Aviation Authority stated that firms from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, etc have shown interest in the airport; a final decision in this regard would still take time.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) initially announced the tender in March but apparently, the extension has been granted as the government is unable to find the right investor.
The federal government issued tenders to invite interested parties for the outsourcing of Islamabad International Airport for a period of 15 years – a move that is being done for the first time in the country.
It is to be highlighted that the former Aviation Adviser had said that 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 government has already clarified that after the outsourcing of Islamabad International Airport, the airports in Lahore and Karachi would also be outsourced though looking at the situation of Islamabad Airport’s outsourcing, the process seems complex and tricky.
