Pakistan on Saturday began building a second airport in its capital, Islamabad, at a cost of $400 million as part of a multi-billion dollar national trade corridor plan. The new airport, to be completed by April 2010, will be among the best in Asia when it opens, President Pervez Musharraf said at the ground-breaking ceremony.

“It would first greenfield airport in the country and would have state-of-the- art facilities, maximum passenger comfort and convenience, incorporating international construction standards,” Musharraf said.

The airport will be located 30 kilometers southwest of Islamabad and capable of handling annual traffic of 6.5 million passengers and 100,000 tons of cargo. Pakistan also plans to expand airports in Multan, Lahore and Karachi, and is building another at the new deep-sea port city of Gawadarin, Balochistan province.

Source: Nasdaq