PIA Mock Flight at Islamabad International Airport

Islamabad International Airport is the main International Airport serving the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It is Pakistan's first Greenfield Airport and is built 20KM outside the twin cities near The Kashmir Highway and Motorway Interchange. During its construction the airport was referred as New Islamabad International Airport to distinguish itself from its predecessor Benazir Bhutto International Airport. Earlier former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had set a deadline to inaugurate the new Islamabad International Airport on August 14, 2017, but due to yet incomplete link roads, the inauguration has been delayed. The new Islamabad airport will be inaugurated formally on April 20 for regular international and domestic flights.

PIA conducted first mock flight at new Islamabad International Airport on Saturday. This was a test flight prior to inauguration of Airport to check its operational readiness. The first successful test flight of PIA PK 9001 along with crew and technical staff took off from Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Saturday and landed at New Islamabad International airport. PIA is the first airline, bearing the national flag to land and take-off from the newly constructed airport. PIA CEO Musharraf Rasool Cyan lauded its employees including pilots, engineers, cabin crew for the successful landing and take-off from the new airport. The first trial flight was entirely handled by PIA personnel including the ground handling at the airport after landing and take-off. This successful completion of test flight at new airport has shown that the airport is ready for its flight and cargo operation. This airport will now be inaugurated on an expected date of 1st May 2018, which is also celebrated as International Labour Day worldwide to give tribute to the number of workers, who have been working day and night for the completion of new state of the Art airport.

With the high tech up gradations and technical instruments installed at airport for landing, take-off, ground handling, passenger terminals, passenger boarding, check-in counters entertainment, communication systems and two 3.5 kilometers long runways, this is the largest airport in terms of passenger handling and its area of Pakistan. The new airport will become the country's biggest international airport for its frequency of landing and the number of passenger handling services.