ISLAMABAD: Recently a video went viral on social media in which portions of the Islamabad International Airport’s (IIAP) ceiling were crashing to the ground due to the recent rains. Luckily no casualty occurs.
Newly built Islamabad airport… pic.twitter.com/n08IiSgijJ
— Syeda Yasmeen Ali (@yasmeen_9) August 16, 2020
Earlier, there were many complaints about the dripping of the ceiling on the rainy days. But management and authorities didn’t bother to pay attention.
The video captured the ceiling at Islamabad airport’s departure lounge. Where parts of the roof fall incessantly as rainwater drips in and a puddle can be seen on the ground.
PCCA and its numerous solutions
An inquiry into the faulty construction of the IIAP has been going on for the past two years.
In a Twitter thread later in the day, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said its director-general “has taken cognizance of the damage caused by the rain at IIAP”.
1/6 DG PCAA has taken cognizance of the damage caused by the rain at IIAP during early hours of 14-08-20. During the heavy thunderstorm, 56 mm of rain fell in less than 90 minutes. The torrential rain was accompanied by 37 knots winds. The thunderstorm ended just before 4.00am.
— PCAAOfficial (@official_pcaa) August 16, 2020
Besides this, DG CAA has issued directions for a comprehensive report along with a permanent solution within three days.
According to Airport Manager and his maintenance staff:
“The heavy leakage occurred due to torrential rain resulted in overflowing of drains at the rooftop of the passenger terminal building,” it added.
The state airport authority mentioned that:
There were “multiple solutions under consideration, including adding more water pipes for quick flushing of rainwater into multiple drains or change the entire drainage design over the rooftop”.
3/6 According to Airport Manager and his maintenance staff, heavy leakage occurred due to torrential rain resulted in over flowing of drains at roof top of the passenger terminal building.
— PCAAOfficial (@official_pcaa) August 16, 2020
It further noted that the DG PCAA has sought a report from Project Director IIAP and Airport Manager IIAP. Meanwhile, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan was expected to visit Islamabad airport on August 17, 2020.
Design of the airport
The IIAP became fully operational in early 2018, with all flight operations shifting there from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. It covers an area of 4238 acres of land and it is the country’s first greenfield airport.
Moreover, designed in a “Y” shape, the new airport includes 15 passenger boarding bridges, a passenger-friendly terminal, two runways, three taxiways. Along with facilities to accommodate two double-deck A380, as many as 15 remote bays, and seven remote bays for small aircraft.
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