Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the New Islamabad International Airport

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi inaugurated the New Islamabad International Airport on Tuesday. Commercial flight services from the much-anticipated addition to the city will begin on Thursday, May 3.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the premier said this government not only starts development projects but also completes them.

He asserted that the airport sits at the crossroads of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and will help to become a new hub of interconnectivity. 

"The new facility will also act as a gateway to economic development by employing people and spurring business activities," he added. 

He stated that aviation is a key component , adding



that air travel is no more considered a luxury but a necessity. 

"Aviation is close to my heart personally," said Abbasi, who is associated with a private airline in the country. 

The prime minister thanked his aviation adviser Mehtab Abbasi and former Civil Aviation Authority chief Air Marshal (retd) Asim Suleman, among other officials, for their role in completing the project. 

The prime minister admitted that the project had taken a long time but it had finally become a reality. 

The new airport is capable of serving nine million passengers and 50,000 metric tonnes of cargo annually; expansion plans target servicing about 25 million passengers by 2025.