ISLAMABAD- The federal government has agreed to extend the bid submission deadline for the outsourcing of the country’s airports by another 60 days.
This decision was made during the meeting of the Steering Committee on Outsourcing of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore Airports, which was chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The participants resolved to extend the deadline until May 15th, 2024, after the country director of International Finance Corporation updated them on the status of the airport outsourcing project.
The participants were informed that several attempts of constant interaction with prospective investors had generated favorable outcomes, which were bolstered by the installation of a new administration at the center and in the provinces.
It was announced that foreign bidders from Qatar, the UAE, Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and local consortia had requested an extension of bid submission deadlines to complete their due diligence; the request was formally approved.
During the meeting, the foreign minister also promised utmost support to the participating investors through economic diplomacy and an expedited procedure to ensure the success of this landmark project.
Ishaq Dar, who pledged that flights to the United Kingdom will restart last year, was updated on the latest developments.
The foreign minister informed the Foreign Office of its diplomatic support for the resumption of flights in accordance with the recently established economic diplomacy policy and in the greater public interest, especially the Pakistani diaspora in the UK and the EU.
It should be noted that Pakistan has planned to outsource three of its airports, located in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore. In this regard, the previous PDM administration declared that Islamabad Airport will be outsourced for 15 years.
During a speech in July last year, then-Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique stated that navigational services and runway operations would not be outsourced and that the Civil Aviation Authority would continue to provide them.
Aside from the airports, the government has decided to privatize the loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has requested a definitive implementation timeline.
Maria Ghanchi