KARACHI: The first-ever green-field airport would be built in Islamabad at a cost of $300 million, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced on Friday.

Director General CAA, Air Marshal Pervez Akhtar Nawaz signed an agreement with a renowned international consultant - Louis Berger Group of USA - in association with Pakistani consulting firm ECIL, to undertake project management services.

The CAA is undertaking the development of the New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) as part of the implementation of this prestigious project.

The contract signing ceremony was held at the CAA headquarters, Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

The New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) along with the new terminal building at Karachi and Lahore International Airports was part of CAA’s overall development programme.

However, due to financial commitments to the new terminal projects at Karachi and Lahore, along with other operational works, CAA could not launch this project earlier.

During last few years, CAA’s financial position has significantly improved and now it is able to undertake the mega project, the CAA spokesman said.

While the first contract for Project Management Services is signed, the CAA is close to receiving bids and proposals from international design consultants and signature architects for design of the new airport.

It is envisaged that the Design Consultants will commence their services by the end of March 2006. Soon after the mobilization of the Project Management Consultants, other processes for invitation of bids and award of construction contracts will be initiated. It is anticipated that the new facility will become operational by 2010.

The new airport site is located on 3,200 acres of land, acquired by CAA in 1980’s at Pind Ranjha near Fateh Jang, some 20km from Zero-Point, Islamabad and 23 km from Saddar, Rawalpindi involving driving time of only 20-25 minutes through network of motorways and highways.

The airport will be developed at par with international standards to serve as major hub for all aviation activities in the region.

Estimated to cost about $300 million, the new Airport facility, which is the first green-field airport in Pakistan, shall comprise a contemporary state-of-the-art passenger terminal building, control tower, runway with a provision of a secondary runway, taxiways, apron, cargo complex, and hangar together with all the necessary infrastructure and ancillary facilities. It would cater to the requirements of latest generation of modern passenger aircrafts. The new airport will have a modular design to handle 6.5 million passengers per annum and 100,000 metric tonnes cargo per annum.

Being a new airport, a significant portion of the land has been earmarked for commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, hotel and convention centre, air malls, business centre, food courts, leisure and recreational facilities.

The new airport is envisaged to be a modern landmark structure symbolic to represent twenty-first century Pakistan, as it will be the diplomatic and business gateway to Pakistan through the Capital City of Islamabad.