Jinnah International Airport can now handle the world’s largest passenger aircraft, including the Airbus A380, after commissioning its newly reconstructed and upgraded main runway.

The Code 4F runway, 07L/25R, became fully operational following the successful landing of an Airblue commercial flight (PA-171) arriving from Jeddah.

The aircraft departed at 6:48 a.m. and touched down at 12:20 p.m., where it was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute arranged by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

Officials said the Rs8,305 million project was completed within the stipulated 18-month deadline without disrupting airport operations.

The reconstruction achieved zero schedule overruns, zero cost overruns, zero contractual claims and zero harm incidents.

The upgrade included enhancements to runway length, pavement strength, taxiways and overruns, along with the installation of energy-efficient lighting systems.

Authorities said the improvements will boost operational safety, increase aircraft handling capacity and ensure reliability for the next 25 to 30 years.

With the completion of the project, the runway’s classification has been upgraded to Code 4F in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, enabling it to accommodate wide-body and super-jumbo aircraft.

Director General PAA, Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed, said the successful landing demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to building modern, safe and efficient aviation infrastructure. He termed the timely and cost-effective completion a benchmark for public infrastructure development.

Karachi, the country’s busiest aviation hub, is expected to further strengthen its operational capacity and strategic importance with the commissioning of the A380-capable runway.