Bahawalpur Airport
Encyclopedia
Bahawalpur Airport is situated 2 nm
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...

 (3.7 km) from the city centre of Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur , located in the province of Punjab, is the twelfth largest city in Pakistan. The city was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was home to various Nawabs and counted as part of the Rajputana states...

, in lower Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

. The airport mainly caters the city of Bahawalpur, however, the national carrier decided to launch international flights to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 in July 2009. The airport extension project is being supervised by the Dubai Civil Aviation Department
Department of Civil Aviation (Dubai)
The Department of Civil Aviation is the governing body which oversees aviation activities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The DCA was once the operator of Dubai International Airport, Dubai Cargo Village and Dubai Duty Free Zone. Management of Dubai's airports and cargo gateways have been...

.

History

The airport was re-developed from funds of the United Arab Emirates government. A new terminal has been constructed and was renamed after the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
HH The Emir Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was the Vice-President and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai...

, who helped fund and oversee its construction. On November 9, 2002 the first portion of 4400 feet (1,341.1 m)-long runway of the Bahawalpur airport was opened. A PIA
PIA
-In aviation::* Pacific Island Aviation* Pakistan International Airlines, the flag carrier of Pakistan.* Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario * Peoria International Airport IATA code...

 Fokker F27 Friendship landed at the airport from Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

. The entire expenditure of the project is estimated to be Rs260 million and most of it was borne by the ruler of Dubai. During November 2004, contractors began working on re-developing the old airport into a more modern and advanced facility.

During the year 2005, he said the PIA had earned a record revenue of Rs150 million, which was double as compared to the year 2004 from operating at this airport. On January 21, 2007, Phase two of the airport was inaugurated and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates . He is the second son of the late ruler, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ....

, Deputy Ruler of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, opened the facility and viewed the new amenities including the departures and arrivals halls.

Structure

The new building was named after late Dubai Emir, Sheikh Rashid Terminal, who also funded majority of the project. The airport has a concourse hall for arrival of approximately 60 to 70 passengers and departure lounges for about 140 passengers with several rooms for offices of the airport and airline managers, which was not available at the old building. Besides that, there is also a Commercially Important Persons (CIP) lounge instead of a VIP lounge. According to airport manager Tahir Ahsan, the CIP lounge has been constructed to do away with the "VIP culture", where any premium passenger can use the lounge. There are also food outlets provided and the new traffic control tower has also been built within the building.

There are many cameras installed in the building to monitor the movement of passengers. A flight information system was also introduced in the building. All parts of the building are air-conditioned. A royal lounge has also been built adjacent to the main terminal building. The lounge will be reserved for princes and members of the royal family whenever they visit the city. A parking lot has been built outside the building after converting the surrounding sandy area into lush green lawns.

The airport consists of arrival and departure halls, new airline offices, logistics, engineering and security support centres as well as cargo areas and passenger and cargo aircraft-parking bays. The airport extension project is being supervised by the Dubai Civil Aviation Department
Department of Civil Aviation (Dubai)
The Department of Civil Aviation is the governing body which oversees aviation activities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The DCA was once the operator of Dubai International Airport, Dubai Cargo Village and Dubai Duty Free Zone. Management of Dubai's airports and cargo gateways have been...

 as well as the Defence Ministry of Pakistan
Ministry of Defence (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Defence , is a federal government ministry tasked with coordinating and supervising all major government agencies and federal departments of the government relating directly to National security and the Pakistan Defense Forces...

. The recent extension of the airport was set to streamline air cargo operations and boost agricultural exports from the Punjab province.

Airlines and destinations

Events

  • On August 17, 1988 a Pakistan Air Force
    Pakistan Air Force
    The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...

     Lockheed C-130B Hercules
    C-130 Hercules
    The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...

     carrying the President of Pakistan
    President of Pakistan
    The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...

     Zia-ul-Haq
    Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
    General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq , was the 4th Chief Martial Law Administrator and the sixth President of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988...

     and many top diplomats took-off from the airport. Shortly after take-off the aircraft lost control and caught fire on impact with the ground. All on board were killed. However, many believe the crash was actually a sabotage yet this was never proven.

See also

  • List of airports in Pakistan
  • Airlines of Pakistan
    Airlines of Pakistan
    The Pakistan aviation industry was started up when Orient Airways merged with Pakistan International Airlines Corporation to become the national flag carrier of Pakistan called Pakistan International Airlines...

  • Transport in Pakistan
    Transport in Pakistan
    Transportation in Pakistan is extensive and varied but still in its developing stages and serving a population of over 170 million people. Construction of new airports, roads, and railway lines have led to an employment boost in the country. Much of Pakistan's road network and railway network...

  • Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
    Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
    Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority is a regulatory authority, which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in Pakistan. Nearly all civilian airports in Pakistan are owned and operated by the CAA...

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