ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda has said that the Japanese Airline wants to start flight on Islamabad-Bangkok-Tokyo route, the Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency reported.
In a meeting with the Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan in Islamabad on Thursday, the Japanese ambassador said that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has two weekly flights on the route of Islamabad-Beijing-Tokyo.
The ambassador said that Japan wants to invest in textile and vehicle industry in Pakistan. He added that his Country is also interested in Pakistani skilled manpower in the fields of industry, construction, agriculture, fishing, food and beverages and aviation industry.
The federal minister for aviation said that Pakistan and Japan want to have mutual cooperation in the field of aviation.
The minister thanked the ambassador for enhancing the Fifth Freedom Rights quota in March 2019 from 1300 passengers to 4000 passengers per month and from 40 tons of Cargo to 100 tons of Cargo per month.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan asked for the enhancement of Fifth freedom traffic rights capacity between Beijing and Tokyo from 4000 monthly passengers to 5000 monthly passengers and cargo capacity between Beijing and Tokyo from 100 tons per month to 200 tons per month for the designated airlines of Pakistan.
The Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Pakistan and Japan was initialed on October 17, 1961 and signed on July 12, 1962. The ASA stipulates single airline designation with PIA being the designated airline of Pakistan and JAL (Japan Airlines) being the designated carrier of Japan.
The existing bilateral arrangements as envisages in the agreed minutes of September 25, 1987 include for Pakistan 2 capacity units (B-767) via Beijing and 3 capacity unites via Southern routes. And for Japanese Air Line 5 capacity units.
The minister also thanked the ambassador for Japan’s help through Japan International Corporation Agency) in areas of Airport Security Force (ASF) and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The equipment that has been provided by JICA in phase 1 through Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) include X ray machine, auto clear, vehicle scanner and cargo scanner. And in phase 2, JICA will provide equipment to CAA including, hold baggage explosive, liquid explosive detection system and baggage handling system. Federal Minister recommended that ASF Staff may be provided institutional based technical training for the JICA equipment.
The aviation minister also asked the Japanese ambassador to reduce time span between planning stage for and execution equipment provision by the JICA.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan also thanked the ambassador for sponsoring PMD projects. He told that Specialized Medium Range Forecast Centre (SMRFC) has been constructed in Islamabad through Japanese aid. Its cost is Rs 2.5 billion. Japan also helped in installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sukkar.
