Monday, April 28, 2008

Transportation

The city has a modern international airport called the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Pakistan's busiest. The city's old airport terminals are now used for Hajj flights, cargo facilities, and ceremonial visits from heads of state. U.S. Coalition forces used the old terminals for their logistic supply operations as well. Apart from this, the city also has two other airstrips used primarily by the armed forces.

Karachi has the largest shipping ports in Pakistan at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. These sea-ports have modern facilities and not only handle trade for Pakistan, but also serve as ports for Afghanistan and the land-locked Central Asian countries. Plans have been announced for new passenger facilities at Karachi Port.

Karachi is linked via railway to the rest of the country by the Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantt Station are the city's two major railway stations. The railway system handles a large amount of freight to and from the Karachi port apart from providing passenger services to people travelling up country. Karachi also has a circular railway system that is planned to be extended to play a part in the city's mass transit. Currently, commuter traffic is handled primarily by motorists and minibuses, but there are plans to construct a light-rail based mass transit system in the city to decongest the roads and provide quick service to commuters.