KARACHI: Passenger traffic at the Karachi Airport is expected to touch a record figure of 101akhthisyear,aspokesmanof theDepartment of Civil Aviation said in Karachi. He said this would be three times more than the 1960 figure of over three and a half lakh. Last year it had risen to over eight lakh passengers, of whom 4,19,497 were of international terminal and 3,98,019 of domestic terminal.

This sharp rise in the air trafñc, the spokesman said, had necessitated expansion in the facilities being provided by the Civil Aviation Department at the Karachi Airport. Under the first phase, which was completed sometime in 1966, allthe passenger lounges and restaurant were equipped properly and air conditioned.

Under the second phase, all the passenger movement area has been expanded and modified to facilitate clearance of maximum number of passengers in minimum time. An electrically operated baggage conveyer belt, he added, had been introduced in the international hall.

He said that the Karachi Airport which was opened for international traffic in 1938 had become the gateway to Asia. At present, most sophisticated aircraft, ranging from jet to DC8 were being handled. All the international airports patronised Karachi Airport as `we are providing most modern facilities to them`. Agency