The Pakistan Airports Authority has embarked on a multibillion-rupee expansion and modernisation drive across the country as it marks two years since its establishment, with major projects including the completion of the New Gwadar International Airport and the reconstruction of Karachi airport’s main runway, alongside large-scale expansion schemes in Lahore and Skardu.
According to a PAA spokesperson, the authority now manages 26 operational airports and serves more than 22 million passengers annually. The New Gwadar International Airport has been completed at a cost of Rs55 billion, while Karachi airport’s main runway has been reconstructed at a cost of Rs10 billion. The authority has also completed rehabilitation and upgradation work at the airports in Dera Ismail Khan, Parachinar, and Turbat.
Major expansion projects are currently under way at Lahore and Skardu airports, with Rs43 billion allocated for the Lahore project and Rs70 billion for the Skardu development programme. The PAA said Islamabad airport has also been converted into the country’s first fully cashless airport.
Other major projects being undertaken by the authority include a cargo village at Karachi airport, a new air traffic control tower at Peshawar airport, and a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Islamabad airport. Billions of rupees are also being spent on modern security-screening systems, e-gates, and air traffic management systems as part of broader efforts to modernise airport infrastructure and improve passenger services.
Looking ahead, the authority is considering the development of new greenfield airports at Sukkur, Faisalabad, and Dera Ismail Khan. The PAA has also secured a significant increase in its development budget for fiscal year 2026-27, with an allocation of more than Rs69 billion, marking a 110 percent increase. The authority said the projects are aimed at improving airport infrastructure, expanding capacity, strengthening operational efficiency, and upgrading passenger facilities across the country.
