To Attract Foreign Airlines, the Government Will Install Costly Security Features at 6 Airports

By considering security issues, the government of Pakistan has decided to install 39 hold or hand baggage scanning machines at six major airports in Pakistan. The estimated cost of these machines would cost around Rs 3.277 billion. The action has been taken to minimize the security risk and to attract foreign airline operations.

As we all know the security conditions of Pakistan and the threats we receive at our airports, it was essential to take such kind of action to secure national and international flights that will help boost our economy. According to official documents seen by various information sources, the projects will be implemented in six airports across Pakistan, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan.

The project is taking place under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), responsible for sponsoring and carrying out the project. The agency envisages replacing 21 hold Scanning Baggage Machines and 18 hand baggage Machines at international airports across the country.

The scope of the project includes the purchase and installation of Dual View/Computed Tomography (CT) Hold & Hand Baggage Scanning Machines at Jinnah International Airport (JIAP) Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIAP) Lahore, Quetta International Airport, Faisalabad International Airport, Gwadar International Airport, Skardu Airport, Head Quarters, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (Pak-CAA), and Head Quarters, Pakistan (PAA).

The Project’s Rationale

After considering the security issues at airports, the project is designed to ensure that International airports must be equipped with high-quality screening equipment to guarantee secure travel to and from Pakistan. These devices will be used to screen out passengers’ hand luggage and holds. To reduce security threats, the goal is to detect dangerous chemicals at an early stage.

Moreover, to ensure that the necessary security standards are being followed, it has been decided that the airports are also routinely inspected by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other security organizations like the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Goals of the Projects

The main objective behind the installation of scanning devices is to ensure the safety of passengers, airport security, and air traffic. In addition, to attract foreign airline operations to and from Pakistan to meet international security standards, including ICAO, ECAS, and TSA, and to detect hazardous materials at an early stage to reduce security risks.

Benefits of the Project

People will feel more comfortable traveling from one place to another via airlines. After the installation of new machines, the reliability factor regarding the screening of passengers will improve. This will boost airline operators’ confidence in the security of passengers and luggage handling systems. Secure airports will attract foreign airlines to begin operations to and from Pakistan, generating economic activity that will benefit CAA and Pakistan.