The PIA aircraft lands at the new Islamabad International Airport. (Photo: Ding Xuezhen)

Islamabad (People’s Daily) - Islamabad's new Chinese-built international airport on Saturday welcomed its first plane during a scheduled mock flight to test operations.

The mock flight was carried out by an A320 aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines. After taking off from Benazir Bhutto International Airport, the aircraft successfully landed at the new airport earlier this afternoon.

The new Islamabad International Airport was constructed by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), one of China’s largest state-owned construction companies.

Li Gang, a representative from the CSCEC Islamabad Office, told People’s Daily that the new airport will be capable of handling nine million passengers each year, which will greatly increase the number of visitors to the capital city.

Once put into operation, the capital city’s new airport will be the largest in the country in terms of landing and passenger handling facilities.

Precautionary measures have been taken during the mock flight. (Photo: Ding Xuezhen)

The new Islamabad International Airport. (Photo: Ding Xuezhen)