KARACHI: Pakistan has signed a consultancy agreement with Lebanon’s Dar Al-Handasah for the development of a new greenfield airport in Faisalabad, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Wednesday, marking a step forward in the country’s aviation infrastructure expansion.
The agreement covers master planning and consultancy services for the proposed airport, with work on the planning phase set to begin on April 21, according to a PAA statement. A greenfield airport refers to a new facility built from scratch on undeveloped land, rather than an expansion of an existing airport.
Pakistan has been seeking to upgrade and expand its aviation infrastructure to support economic activity, particularly in key industrial cities such as Faisalabad, a major hub for the country’s textile exports.
“The consultancy agreement for the Faisalabad Greenfield Airport project has been signed,” the Pakistan Airports Authority said, adding that the planning phase would formally commence later this month.
The consultancy services will be delivered by a joint venture, DAR-OCL-ASIAN JV, according to the statement.
Pakistan has in recent years pushed to attract international expertise for large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in transport and logistics, as it looks to improve connectivity and support export-led growth.
The New Gwadar International Airport was inaugurated in 2024, a $246 million project that began operations in early 2025. The country’s first greenfield airport, Islamabad International Airport, opened in 2018 to ease congestion and expand capacity.
