Pakistan to establish first EASA-approved aircraft maintenance facility at Islamabad airport

Pakistan is set to establish its first European Aviation Safety Agency-approved Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility at Islamabad International Airport as part of a broader plan to expand local aircraft maintenance and pilot-training capacity.

According to a news report, the projects are being developed under the Ministry of Defence’s Aviation Sector Transformation Programme and include a specialised Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility, a covered aircraft maintenance hangar and a full-flight simulator centre.

Private aviation services provider NORTEK is developing the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility with administrative support from the Pakistan Airports Authority and regulatory oversight from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

The centre will seek approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency and, once operational, will provide base maintenance and component-support services for Airbus A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft.

The project is expected to reduce reliance on foreign maintenance providers, conserve foreign exchange and create skilled employment in aviation engineering.

Airblue Limited is separately constructing a covered maintenance hangar at Islamabad International Airport in line with European Aviation Safety Agency standards.

The facility will provide all-weather protection for aircraft, technical staff and maintenance equipment. It will support Airblue’s engineering operations and may also offer maintenance services to other airlines operating Airbus A320-family aircraft.

Airblue is also developing a Flight Training Centre and Full Flight Simulator facility at the airport, with tentative completion scheduled for April 2027.

The centre will include advanced simulators and modern classrooms for type-rating and recurrent training. Officials said it would help address the shortage of trained pilots, improve safety standards and reduce the cost of sending aviation professionals abroad for training.

The projects are expected to strengthen Islamabad International Airport’s role as a regional centre for aircraft maintenance, aviation engineering, regulatory compliance and professional flight training.