Islamabad airport: New video shows portions of departure lounge's ceiling collapsing due to rain

ISLAMABAD: A new video obtained by Geo News shows portions of Islamabad International Airport's (IIAP) ceiling crashing to the ground due to the recent rains.

The new 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, with people being forced to walk around to avoid it.

An inquiry into the alleged faulty construction of the New Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) has been going on for the past two years. Rainwater has repeatedly entered the airport on earlier occasions in the past as well.

PCAA says 'multiple solutions under consideration'

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".

"DG CAA has issued directions for a comprehensive report along with a permanent solution within three days," it said on Twitter.

"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," it added.

The state airport authority mentioned that there were "multiple solutions under consideration, including adding more water pipes for quick flushing of rain water into multiple drains or change the entire drainage design over the roof top".

It further noted that the DG PCAA has sought a report from Project Director IIAP and Airport Manager IIAP, while Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan was expected to visit the Islamabad airport on August 17, 2020.

Airport became operational in 2018

The IIAP became fully operational in early 2018, with all flight operations shifting there from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. It spans over an area of 4238 acres of land and is said to be country's first greenfield airport.

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.