LAHORE - The current wave of terrorism, besides causing life and material loss in the country, has also badly hit the aviation industry of Pakistan, which today on account of this menace stands far below than the other aviation industries in the region. Three foreign airlines operating from Lahore have wrapped up their operation within last one and a half years, an aviation officer said. Singapore Airlines closed its operation from Lahore in the current year saying that it was commercially facing loss. During the first quarter of the last year Mahan Airlines of Iran also closed its operation due to the reasons best known to its management. German Airlines (Lufthansa) also ended up its operation despite having considerable passenger load. An Aviation expert on the condition of anonymity said that Lufthansa management took decision only keeping in view the current unrest and wave of terrorism in the country. Since the scourge of terrorism struck Pakistan in 2006 the Aviation industry has been facing adverse results. Today private airlines which previously were showing good results had wrapped up their businesses. The story, however, does not end here but our national airline is also on the down slide. Reportedly, the overall loss to the PIA is being estimated as Rs 100 billion. The private and foreign airlines, which are no more in operation in Pakistan, were contributing to the revenue generation of the State, sources revealed and added that Lufthansa Airline was operating for Frankfurt, which was a real facility for Pakistani passengers. Sources in CAA said that due to the panic in the country the number of international passengers including tourists had declined. During the year 2008 from Allama Iqbal International Airport alone some 3.25 million national and international passengers travelled whereas last year this number decreased to 3.22 million. On the other hand in India from New Delhi airport alone about 20 million passengers travelled last year. An Aviation expert said that better road infrastructure in the province had also decreased the domestic air travelling. It is easy to reach Islamabad within three and a half hours by Motorway or GT Road, he added and maintained that air travel also took almost the same time from leaving from home to airport first and then passing through security procedures and baggage search at airport, flight time and coming out of the airport of Islamabad. An officer of the CAA seeking anonymity said that the passengers had to cover extra 10 kilometres to reach the airport, as the facade of the AIIAP was in the direction of Indo-Pak border.