KARACHI – The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced an extension for the submission of bids concerning the outsourcing of Islamabad International Airport, as reported on Thursday.
According to the information provided, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) decided to prolong the tender deadline due to insufficient bids for outsourcing the Airport. Consequently, the bid submission deadline was extended to May 15th, inviting interested investors to apply for the outsourcing opportunity of Islamabad Airport.
Previously, the federal government announced invitations to apply for a 15-year outsourcing contract of Islamabad International Airport. As per the Civil Aviation Authority, applicants were required to pay a Rs. 5,000 fee and submit their bids by November 8th.
Before this, the government chose to contract out the management of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad International Airports. Reports indicate that the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, China, and Saudi Arabia are expressing particular interest in outsourcing these three airports.
Upon deciding to outsource certain tasks, the unions affiliated with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) initiated a protest. Despite the efforts of Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad, who attempted to mediate by inviting union leaders for discussions, the negotiations did not yield a resolution. The CAA employees remain steadfast in their opposition, asserting they will prevent the outsourcing of airports.
During the protest, a representative from the CAA Union spoke to the media, firmly stating that the movement will persist until their requests are fulfilled.
