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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Islamabad Airport
Islamabad International Airport (Urdu: اسلام آباد بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) (IATA: ISB, ICAO: OPIS) is an international airport serving Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan and Rawalpindi. It is located 25 km (16 mi) south-west of the city, and is directly connected to the Lahore and Peshawar motorways as well to the capital city Islamabad via Srinagar Highway.

The airport commenced full operations in 6 May 2018, replacing the defunct Benazir Bhutto International Airport which now serves only as the PAF Base Nur Khan. It is the largest cargo airport in Pakistan and also in terms of area and passenger capacity, capable of serving 9 million passengers yearly. Further expansions in the future will allow it to serve up to 25 million passengers yearly. It is the second-busiest airport in Pakistan in terms of passenger traffic after Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. The terminal includes 15 gates with ten remote gates, duty-free shops, a food court and 42 immigration counters. Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority is acquiring 2,833 acres (11.46 km / 4.42 sq mi) of land to build a third runway. It is the first airport in Pakistan that has double airbirdges capable of handling the Airbus A380. New Gwadar International will be the second.

History

Islamabad International Airport view from Parking Area.

Development

Construction of the Islamabad International Airport (ICAO: OPIS) began on 7 April 2007. It was formally inaugurated on 20 April 2018 for regular international and domestic flights.

The plan to construct a new airport was announced in January 2005 by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. A land of 3,242 acres (1,312 ha) land was acquired at the cost of Rs 2.5 billion in November 2005.

The new airport was planned in response to increasing air traffic and passenger loads at the existing Benazir Bhutto International Airport. It was estimated that the number of passengers at the former airport was growing by 14 percent annually compared to the national air passenger growth rate of 4 percent, making it the second-busiest airport in the country at the time. Therefore, a site in Pind Ranjha, Attock District was selected as the site for the construction of a new airport just a few kilometres from the Islamabad interchange on M-1/M-2 motorways. The foundation stone of the project was laid by former President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on 7 April 2007.

It was a project of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and designed by French company Aéroports de Paris Ingenierie (ADPi) and CPG Corporation of Singapore. The whole project was financed by PCAA on its own. It is built on more than 3,200 acres of land and consists of a passenger terminal building, two runways, four taxiways, and apron and parking bays for wide-body aircraft. There is also a cargo terminal, air traffic control complex, and fuel farm, as well as a fire, crash, and rescue facility. The site of the airport is near Fateh Jang Tehsil of Attock District. It is 25 km equidistant from Zero Point, Islamabad and from Saddar, Rawalpindi. The airport is on par with international standards, and serves as a major hub for all aviation activities in Pakistan. The PCAA asked a team of British architects to design the new airport. PCAA signed an agreement with the Louis Berger Group in the US in association with Pakistani consulting firm GT AASR, to undertake project management services. The airport was to be completed in five years but took 12 years to complete resulting in a three times increase in cost. MM Pakistan (MMP) and Mott Macdonald Ltd. were tasked to undertake the project management services from the previous consultants, and were successful in completing this troubled project.

Operations

On 1 May 2018, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi officially inaugurated the new airport. This was followed up with the airport commencing full commercial flight operations on 3 May 2018 and thus replacing the old airport.

On 8 July 2018, the first Airbus A380 landed in Islamabad, arriving as one-off Emirates flight EK-2524 from Dubai International Airport. This was the first time an Airbus A380 flight landed in Pakistan.

Virgin Atlantic flew their first flight to Islamabad on 10 December 2020 with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Virgin Atlantic suspended their service to Islamabad on 9 July 2023.

As of 2023, Pakistan International Airlines has moved its international hub from Karachi's Jinnah International Airport to Islamabad International Airport, better reflecting the origin of its international passengers.

Controversies

Outsourcing management and operations

On 31 December 2022, the Government of Pakistan announced its decision to outsource the management of Islamabad International Airport to international operators as part of an initiative to encourage foreign investment. The Islamabad airport, along with other major airports, is slated to be managed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. This move aims to boost government revenue and enhance facilities, offering improved services for international travelers. In October 2024 the government’s 15-year lease award for Islamabad International Airport has sparked controversy, with allegations of favoritism after one bidder was reportedly barred from participating.

Facilities

Domestic Arrivals
Interior of domestic arrivals
International departure area

Islamabad International Airport has a 180,000m modular terminal building which is capable of handling 9 million passengers and 80,000 metric tons cargo per annum. The numbers are expected to reach 25 million passengers by 2024. Being a new airport, a significant portion of the land has been earmarked for commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, a hotel and convention centre, air malls, a business centre, food courts, and leisure and cinema facilities.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Islamabad International Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
Air Arabia Ras Al Khaimah
Air China Beijing–Capital
Airblue Abu Dhabi, Dubai–International, Jeddah, Karachi, Riyadh, Sharjah
AirSial Dammam, Jeddah, Karachi, Muscat, Riyadh
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku
British Airways London–Gatwick
China Southern Airlines Guangzhou, Kashgar, Ürümqi
Emirates Dubai–International
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Fly Jinnah Bahrain, Karachi, Muscat, Quetta, Sharjah
Flydubai Dubai–International
Flynas Riyadh
Gulf Air Bahrain
Iraqi Airways Najaf
Jazeera Airways Kuwait City
Kam Air Kabul
Kuwait Airways Kuwait City
Pakistan International Airlines Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahawalpur, Baku, Beijing–Capital, Chitral, Dammam, Doha, Dubai–International, Gassim, Gilgit, Gwadar (Begins 1 Jan 2025), Istanbul, Jeddah, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur–International, Medina, Multan, Muscat, Paris–Charles de Gaulle (Resumes 10 January 2025), Quetta, Riyadh, Salalah, Sialkot, Skardu, Sukkur, Ta'if, Toronto–Pearson
Qatar Airways Doha
SalamAir Muscat
Saudia Jeddah, Riyadh
SereneAir Beijing–Daxing, Dubai–International, Karachi, Medina, Quetta, Sharjah
Somon Air Dushanbe
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Turkish Airlines Istanbul

: Air China's flight from Islamabad to Beijing makes a stopover in Karachi. However, the airline has no traffic rights to transport passengers solely between Islamabad and Karachi.

Ground transport

Road

The airport is connected to Islamabad via the Srinagar Highway and Rawalpindi via the GT Road (Highway N-5). A four-lane highway was constructed to serve cargo traffic. The Srinagar Highway is also connected to M-1 Motorway, providing another connection to the airport from Peshawar, Chiamkiani, Nowshera, Risalpur, Jehangira, Lawrencepur, Burhan Attock and Fateh Jang.

Public transportation

A metrobus rapid transit service, which commenced operations on 18 April 2022, connects the airport with Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

See also

References

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Bibliography

Media related to Islamabad International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

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