Karachi airport being upgraded
In a bid to enhance airside infrastructure and accommodate larger aircraft at Jinnah International Airport, work to upgrade the airport is in full swing.
The reconstruction of the main runway (07L/25R) will enable the Karachi airport to seamlessly accommodate wide-body aircraft up to category 4F, including Airbus A380.
The classification of the airports is based on the characteristics of the 'critical aircraft'. The critical aircraft is the airplane with the highest requirements that can use the airport.
In accordance with its own characteristics to each airport is assigned a code number and a code letter. The code number refers to the airplane reference field length; in the reference field length the stop way and the clear way are included as well.
The code letter refers to the critical airplane's wing span and the distance that it's between the external extremities of the wheels of its main landing gear. An aerodrome's reference code may be 1A, 2B, 3C, 4D, 4E, 4F.
A state-of-the-art new taxiway, an airfield lighting control and a monitoring system will also be built.
The upgrade will feature the latest energy-efficient lighting system, an extended runway by 1,000 feet, making it 11,500 feet, and reconstructed taxiways and overruns at both ends.
Four taxi links near the 07L end will also receive an asphaltic overlay, and a control and monitoring system will be installed in the control tower. The project will be completed in one-and-a-half-year at a cost of Rs8.35 billion.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) expects this upgrade to attract both domestic and international airlines to operate at the airport in the future.
The project, led by the Project Management Unit of the Pakistan Airports Authority, began on July 4, 2024, and is expected to be completed by January 3 next year.
The primary objectives of the project include the renovation, revamping, and expansion of the main runway, 7L and 25R.
After the completion of the project, Karachi Airport will be upgraded to Category 4F, enabling it to accommodate exceptionally large aircraft, including the Airbus 380.
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