ISLAMABAD - A high-level meeting is expected next week to decide future role of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport after shifting of all its commercial operations to the New Islamabad International Airport from Thursday. The meeting to be arranged by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is likely to be chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Some reports suggest that the government may retain the BBIA as facility to be used for the visits of foreign dignitaries to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, all the domestic and international flights have been asked to use the new airport. Benazir Bhutto International Airport was the second-largest airport for the air traffic in Pakistan, serving the capital Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab, until May 3 2018 when it was succeeded by the new Islamabad International Airport.

Previously known as the Islamabad International Airport, it was renamed after the late Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto in June 2008. The airport handled 4,767,860 passengers between 2015-16 as compared to 3,803,060 in 2012-13.

Since the airport was built on an airbase, the Pakistan Air Force has taken ownership of the apron and old terminal building of the airfield in a similar fashion to when Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport moved its terminals.

The PAF Base Nur Khan (previously known as PAF Base Chaklala) is an active Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi. It also forms part of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport. Fazaia Intermediate College, Nur Khan is also located in the base.

The base was originally operated by the Royal Air Force as R.A.F. Chaklala and during the World War 2, parachute training operations were conducted there.

Once transferred to the then Royal Pakistan Air Force the base came into use as a transport hub, with the PAF's fleet of various transport aircraft operating from it.