Pakistan to outsource operations of three key airports to cut costs

Pakistani government has approved outsourcing of operations of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi airports to cut costs and improve services. 

The approval was made during a meeting held in Islamabad on Friday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. 

The meeting decided to hire the services of world-famed international operators to run the three airports. 

A special committee will work in this regard which will be spearheaded by the Prime Minister himself. 

The operators would help run the major airports for around 25 years. The meeting was also briefed on the performance of Pakistan International Airlines. It was informed that the national flag carrier had collected revenue worth Rs172 billion during 2022 — highest in the history of the airline. Four new A-320 planes have been added to the PIA fleet as part of its expansion.  

Meanwhile, Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) has criticized the decision and decided to go to court against it.