Archive · 31 Jan 2026
Pakistan Opens Bidding for Airport Privatisation
Pakistan is opening up the bidding process for three of its biggest airports: Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.
This means that any company, from Pakistan or abroad, can apply to run these airports.
The government wants to do this to make the airports better, bring in more money, and get private companies involved.
They say this is not about politics but about making the airports work better.
Earlier, they thought about giving the Islamabad airport to another government, but now they want to have a fair competition instead.
They have also talked to countries like the UAE, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia about this, but no deals have been signed yet.
Pakistan's Privatisation Commission announced an open bidding process for Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi airports.
The government aims to boost operational efficiency, raise service standards, increase revenues, modernise infrastructure, and draw in private investment.
The selection process will be competitive and transparent, open to all domestic and foreign investors.
The shift from a government-to-government model to an open bidding process was due to high interest from various investors.
Pakistan has held constructive dialogues with entities from the UAE, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, but no lease or agreement has been signed.
- Who
- Pakistan's Privatisation Commission and Ministry
- What
- Open bidding process for privatisation of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi airports
- When
- Plans to proceed as announced last week
- Where
- Pakistan (Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi airports)
- Why
- To boost operational efficiency, raise service standards, increase revenues, modernise infrastructure, and draw in private investment
- Airports Involved
- Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi
- Bidding Process
- Open to domestic and foreign investors
- Government's Objective
- Boost operational efficiency, raise service standards, increase revenues, modernise infrastructure, draw in private investment
- Selection Process
- Competitive and transparent
- Previous Approach
- Government-to-government framework for Islamabad International Airport
- Current Approach
- Long-term commercial concessions for all three airports
- Operating Structure
- Public-private partnership
- Dialogue with Partner Nations
- UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia