History of Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore
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Allama Iqbal International Airport, (IATA:
LHE, ICAO:
OPLA) is the second largest civil airport inPakistan, serving Lahore,
the capital of Punjab province as well a large portion of the travellers from the
Punjab province. Originally known as Lahore International Airport, it was renamed
after AllamaIqbal, one of the pioneers that led to the creation of Pakistan.The
airport currently has three terminals: the AllamaIqbal terminal, the Hajj terminal
and a cargo terminal. The airport is located about 15 km from the centre of the
city.
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Post independence
At the time of the Independence of Pakistan, Walton Airport was the main airport
of Lahore. When Pakistan International Airlines(PIA) acquired its first Boeing 720
Walton was unable to handle the load of a jet aircraft. The Government of Pakistan
decided to build a brand new airport, which opened in 1962.The airport had a specifically
built runway and apron to handle aircraft up to theBoeing 747. This allowed Lahore
to open its gates to the world. PIA initiated direct flights to Dubai and London
via Karachi.
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AIIA Terminal
Over the course of the next twenty five years the demand for air travel rose. It
meant that the government had to build a new airport to meet the growing needs for
of the region. In March 2003, a new terminal was inaugurated by General Pervez Musharraf
originally commissioned by then Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. The airport
was named AllamaIqbal International Airport and became the second largest airport
in Pakistan after Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. All flights were switched
to the new airport and the old airport was passed onto the military. However, the
government later reclaimed the airport from the military and developed it into a
Hajj terminal.
In 2008, the national flag carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, opened a dedicated
aircraft line maintenance facility in Lahore. The facility is equipped with the
latest technology and equipment, which will be used for all day-to-day technical
line maintenance on Etihad aircraft including hydraulic structural and instrument
checks.
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REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allama_Iqbal_International Airport
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