MINGORA: The residents of Swat have appreciated the government’s decision to operationalise the Saidu Sharif Airport after 25 years closure.

The airport established in 1978 remained operational until 1994. It used to handle two flights from Islamabad and Peshawar daily.

The residents told Dawn that Swat had great potential for tourism due to the presence of picturesque, religious and archaeological sites.

Say facility will boost tourism in region

“Resumption of the airport’s operation was our longstanding demand as it promises not only our development but also the promotion of tourism,” he said.

The travel agents said over 1,000 people travelled abroad on a daily basis and majority of them used to take flights from Saidu Sharif airport before it was closed down.

“A large number of people from this region work in Middle East, Malaysia, UK, US and other countries. They first land in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and then travel to their hometown by road. All this not only cost them a lot of money but also waste their time,” travel agent Imtiaz Khan said.

He said the authorities should begin flights from Lahore and Islamabad to Swat and not from Peshawar as the provincial capital wasn’t far away from Swat.

The local traders welcomed the development and said the airport’s reopening would boost their business mostly done with people based in the big cities of Punjab.

“From 15 to 20 buses go to Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala from Swat carrying traders and businessmen daily but they often complain about travel hardships and robberies,” said Wajid Khan, a Mingora Bazaar trader.

He said PIA or other airlines should begin flights between Swat and Lahore to ease the traders’ problems.

The tour operators and hotel owners also hailed the operationalisation of the airport and said it would promote tourism in the region.

“A man from Sindh or Balochistan has to travel for 24 hours nonstop to reach here and at times the journey lasts 30 hours and therefore, no from there comes here,” he said.

He said many residents of Swat lived in Karachi for work or other purposes and they used buses to reach their hometown and therefore, a flight from Karachi to here is a must to facilitate them and tourists,” said hotel owner Wakil Khan.

President of All Swat Hotel Association Zahid Khan said Buddhist pilgrims from across the world wanted to visit Swat to see their holy places.

“Buddhists need air travel facility for Swat from big cities of Pakistan. The reopening of the Saidu Sharif airport will boost international tourism,” he said.

Ikramullah, a representative of travel agents in Swat, said the Saidu Sharif airport would be used by the residents of seven districts of Malakand division for being the nearest one.

He said around 300 Swat residents went to Saudi Arabia for Umrah daily using airlines other than PIA and therefore, the Saidu Sharif airport’s reopening would boost PIA’s earnings a great deal.

Mr Ikramullah said 97,000 residents went overseas last year for employment.

When contacted, Swat’s deputy commissioner Saqib Raza Aslam said rehabilitation of Saidu Sharif airport was in progress and he was confident that the airport would be made operational before Oct.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2019