Historic Milestone: Secy Defence Inaugurates A380-Ready Runway at Karachi's JIAP

Secretary Defence Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Ali inaugurated the newly reconstructed Runway 07L/25R at Jinnah International Airport, marking a major milestone in Pakistan’s aviation infrastructure development. The Code 4F runway is now fully A380-ready and has been completed in 18 months with zero delays, zero cost overruns, zero claims, and zero accidents - reflecting excellence in public-sector execution. Director General Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed, Director General Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Nadir Shafi Dar, senior officials, engineers and project leadership attended the ceremony. The Secretary Defence commended PAA’s leadership, engineers, and workforce for delivering world-class infrastructure in full compliance with ICAO Annex 14 standards. Special honorary shields were awarded to DG PAA, Deputy DG (Works & Development), the Project Director, and Director Planning & Development in recognition of exemplary dedication. The ceremony concluded with a cake-cutting to commemorate the successful completion of the landmark project. The reconstruction of Runway 07L/25R enhances operational resilience, strengthens heavy aircraft handling capability - including Airbus A380 operations - and reinforces Karachi’s position as a strategic regional aviation gateway.