FAISALABAD,(INP): About 777 planes could land at Faisalabad International Airport after the expansion of its runway and a state-of-the-art cargo complex would also be established after completing due formalities and permission, said Airport Manager Ms. Tasneem Akhtar Jameel. Addressing the business community at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), she requested exporters to provide the data of cargo load so that the process could be expedited. She said that many airlines had suspended their operation from Faisalabad but hopefully, they would return very soon. She said that all new airlines would be allotted slots according to their demand as there was no hurdle to its allotment. “Contrary to Lahore, 100% baggage of passengers is being scanned at Faisalabad,” she added. She also claimed that Faisalabad had been declared the most secured and safe airport of the country. Earlier, President FCCI Mr. Rehan Naseem Bharara said that Faisalabad had emerged on the global map of aviation when international flights started from this city in 2014-15 due to the efforts of the FCCI. “At that time there were 120 weekly flights which reduced to 80 during Covid-19”, he said and added that now there were only 32 domestic and international flights. He requested former executive member FCCI Kashif Zia to prepare a comprehensive report on available cargo load in Faisalabad so that the issue could be resolved without further delay. Former President FCCI Mian Javed Iqbal said that CAA should contact the managements of Fly Dubai, Fly Jinnah, Air Blue, Air Sial and other airlines to start their operation from Faisalabad to capitalize on its huge untapped potential. He said that currently local cargo was being routed through Lahore and Sialkot airports as they had no scanner at Faisalabad. “There are two options for us. First to fully exploit the potential of the existing airport and secondly to start spade work on the new airport. We must prepare a commercial feasibility so that efforts could be made in the right direction,” he added.
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