Top 10 Airports in Pakistan

by ahblog · Published February 7, 2024 · Updated April 22, 2024

Did you know air travel is the safest mode of transportation? Therefore, countries worldwide are increasingly turning to using air travel as the most effective and safest mode of transport. Similarly, Pakistan has also marked significant feats in air transport by establishing airports in Pakistan in almost all provinces of Pakistan.

There are approximately 151 total Airports in Pakistan including domestic, military, and International Airports. In the list of these airports, 3 are the major international Airports including Islamabad International Airport, Jinnah International Airport Karachi, and Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore.

Besides these major Airports, the other international Airports are located in various cities of Pakistan i.e. Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Skardu, Gwadar, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Sukkur, and Turbat contributing to total 11 International Airports in Pakistan.

These airports are operated by the “Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority” except Sialkot International Airport, the first privately owned Airport in Pakistan and South Asia. Moreover, Pakistan is connected with may visa free countries via these airports.

In addition, there are military airbases that are operated by the Pakistan Air Force except Dhamial Army Aviation Airbase in Rawalpindi and Tarbela Army Aviation Airbase. The two are operated by the Pakistan Army.

Pakistan has also spread the net of airlines within the country. Apart from the international Airports, there are more than 35 domestic airports in Pakistan connecting cities via air transport.

Here is the list which shows the international Airports in Pakistan chronologically ordered based on the busiest airports. Before reading the list, know some terminologies i.e. ICAO code, a 4-letter unique code, which is issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The other code is the IATA code, a 3-letter code, which is defined by the International Air Transport Association.

List of International Airports in Pakistan

	Aiport Name	City	ICAO	IATA	Passengers
1.	Jinnah International Airport	Karachi	OPKC	KHI	5,165,904
2.	Islamabad International Airport	Islamabad / Rawalpindi	OPIS	ISB	4,751,451
3.	Allama Iqbal International Airport	Lahore	OPLA	LHE	3,695,960
4.	Bacha Khan International Airport	Peshawar	OPPS	PEW	1,066,513
5.	Multan International Airport	Multan	OPMT	MUX	765,635
6.	Skardu International Airport	Skardu	OPSD	KDU	127,124
7.	Quetta International Airport	Quetta	OPQT	UET	360,275
8.	Gwadar International Airport	Gwadar	OPGD	GWD	16,343
9.	Sialkot International Airport	Sialkot	OPST	SKT	680,489
10.	Turbat International Airport	Turbat	OPTU	TUK	34,858

1. Jinnah International Airport

Jinnah International Airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

The Jinnah International Airport is the busiest airport in Pakistan located in the biggest city of Pakistan, Karachi, near the highly populated areas of Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Malir. Jinnah Airport in named after the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. It is also one of the oldest airports in Pakistan as it was opened in 1924, at that time Pakistan was part of British India, and it received its first flight in 1926.

Moreover, The Jinnah International Airport Karachi is operated by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. It has the capacity of handling 12 million passengers annually. There are almost 27 renowned airlines including Airblue, SereneAir, Fly Jinnah, Emirates, Gulf Air, PIA, Batik Air Malaysia, and AirSial use Jinnah International Airport as their main hub.

In addition, in the biggest airport of Pakistan, there are world-class facilities at the airport for passengers traveling across the world.

Facilities

ATM
Banks and Money Exchanges.
Passenger Facilitation Services
First Aid Medical Facilities
Restaurants and Cafeterias

2. Islamabad International Airport

Islamabad International Airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Islamabad International Airport is the 2^nd largest airport by passenger traffic after the Jinnah International Airport. The Islamabad International Airport is linked with Srinagar Highway and is located 25 kilometers southwest of the capital city. It was opened for operation in 2018 replacing the nonoperational Benazir Bhutto International Airport which is now part of the PAF Base Nur Khan.

The construction of the new airport was announced in 2005, and the construction work was started in 2007. In 2018, for the first time, Airbus A380 landed in Pakistan on that new airport. After that, PIA also moved its international hub from Karachi to Islamabad.

The need for opening the new airport was felt to control the air traffic and passenger load at the Benazir Bhutto Airport. Now, the current airport, Islamabad International Airport, can handle 9 million passengers yearly.

Facilities

Banks
ATMs & and currency exchange
VIP & Commercially Important Personnel (CIP) lounges
Prayer Rooms
Car Rental Facility

There are many benefits of the Airports, one notable is opening doors to foreign tourists that promote tourism in Pakistan.

3. Allama Iqbal International Airport

Allama Iqbal International Airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Allama Iqbal International Airport is on the third position on the list of the busiest airports. It is also known as the 2^nd largest civil airport in Pakistan. The Allama Iqbal International Airport is located at Airport Rd, Cantt, Lahore.

Moreover, before the independence of Pakistan, in Lahore, there was Walton Airport. After the independence, it was not easy for Walton Airport to handle the load as the PIA acquired its first Boing 720. So, the government of Pakistan decided to open a new airport which was completed in 1962.

The Airport is also known as Lahore International Airport currently hosting the operation of 18 airlines including 5 domestic airlines. In addition, the airport has three terminals used for domestic and international flights, cargo, and departure and arrival of pilgrims known as Hajj terminal.

Passengers can benefit from many facilities served at the airport.

Facilities

Free Wi-Fi Internet Services.
ATMs
Banks and Money Exchanges.
First Aid Medical Facilities
Restaurants and Cafeterias
Daewoo Booking Centre

4. Bacha Khan International Airport

Bacha Khan International Airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

In the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar, the Bacha Khan International Airport is the 4^th largest international airport in terms of traffic flow serving more than 1,066,513 passengers. The Airport is located in the heart of Peshawar city. It has a rich history as it traces back to 1927. After the independence, the Peshawar International Airport was used by both the Civil Aviation Authority and Pakistan Air Force jointly.

The Peshawar airport was titled as an international airport in 1995 when it received its first flight from Kabul, Afghanistan. The Airport connects Pakistan with northwest countries and Afghanistan. In addition, most of the time the airport remains busy sending and receiving flights to Afghanistan as Peshawar is the nearest city to the country. Most of the Afghani passengers get facilities of traveling from travel agencies in Peshawar.

In January 2008, the provincial government extended the facilities and flight operations of the Bacha Khan International Airport.

Facilities

Prayer Rooms
Emergency and Medical
Passengers Facilitation Services
Bank and ATMs
Special care for senior citizens
Restaurants and Shopping Arcades
Action Notice on Loss and Found

5. Multan International Airport

Multan International Airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

The Multan International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in South Punjab handling more than 765, 635 passengers. The Airport is located just 4 km away from Multan City. It was established earlier in the British era in 1919 and used by the Royal Air Force. Following independence in 1957, the PIA started operations from Multan International Airport. After that, in 1988 with the arrival of Airbus A300 the airport runway was strengthened.

Moreover, the Multan International Airport operates direct flights to many neighboring countries including Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Here is the list of 17 airlines that operate from Multan International Airport.

Safi Airways
RAK Airway
Kuwait Airways
NasAir
Oman Air
Pak Air Blue
Fly Dubai
PIA
Saudi Arabian Airways
Shaheen Air
Uzbekistan Airways
Qatar Airways
Air Arabia
China Southern Airlines
Emirates
Etihad Air
Gulf Airlines

When traveling domestically or internationally, passengers need some basic facilities. The Multan Airport provides them with all the facilities and services they need.

Facilities

Prayer Area
ATMs,
Passenger Facilitation Services (PFS)
Café and Restrooms
Emergency & Medical
Rent a Car Facility

6. Skardu International Airport

Skardu International Airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Skardu International Airport is one of the most beautiful airports in Pakistan. It is located in the Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan. The Airport also serves as the forward operating base of the Pakistan Air Force. It has also the title of 9^th largest airport in terms of air traffic flow as it handles flights of more than 127,124 passengers. The Skardu Airport remains the busiest during the summer season when tourists across the world come to enjoy the beauty of northern areas of Pakistan.

Moreover, the Skardu Airport is connected with Islamabad International Airport via PIA flights. It also operates its flights to Karachi, Lahore, and Dubai. 14 August 2023 was a memorable day when the first flight of PIA flew from Dubai and landed at the Skardu International Airport.

The airport is located in a breathtaking view with all the essential services for the passengers.

Facilities

Large Parking Space
ATMs, Currency Exchange, and Banks
Emergency & Medical
Separate VIP Lounge
Passenger Facilitation Services (PFS)
Café and Restrooms

7. Quetta International Airport

Quetta international airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Next on our list of airports in Pakistan is Quetta International Airport, a secondary airport located in the capital of Baluchistan. The airport is one of the busiest airports, serving more than 360,275 passengers. Moreover, it also has importance as it is the fourth highest airport located 1605 m above sea level. Spanning over an expansive area of 35 acres, the Quetta International Airport is the 2^nd largest airport in the south region.

The airport is linked with international regions and local cities by several airlines. Currently, PIA, Flydubai, and Air Arabia are operating for international flights. However, regional carriers like Iran Aseman Airlines are operating for domestic flights.

In 1972, the PIA officially started its operations due to passenger traffic at the airport. Later on, international flights were launched in 1977.

There are many facilities available at the airport for passengers.

Facilities

Air Cargo
ATMs,
Currency Exchange (USD, GBP, AED, etc. and soon digital currencies like cryptocurrency)
Café and Restrooms
Emergency & Medical
Passenger Facilitation Services (PFS)
Airport Border Control

8. Gwadar International Airport

Gwadar international airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Gwadar International Airport is located just 14 km north of Gwadar city in Baluchistan, one of the largest provinces of Pakistan. Initially, Gwadar was not part of Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan bought it from Muscat’s Sultan in 1958. The air operations from the airport were started in 1966. Moreover, the airport gained international status after Fokker F-27 aircraft started weekly operations from Karachi to Muscat via Gwadar. Now, it is known among the busiest airports in Pakistan with air transport of more than 16,343 passengers.

Pakistan International Airline (PIA) is the main airline operating from the airport connecting Gwadar with Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Tehran, Bahrain, and Muscat. Other airlines operating from Gwadar International Airport are Oman Air and AirBlue.

Facilities

Emergency medical centers
Prayer rooms
Banks
ATMs
Currency exchange
Restaurants

9. Sialkot International Airport

sialkot international airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Sialkot International Airport is the first airport in Pakistan owned privately. Covering an area of 1014 acres, the airport facilitates more than 680,489 passengers with air transportation. The airport is located 14 km west of Sialkot city. Before the opening of the new Islamabad International Airport, the Sialkot airport had the title of having Pakistan’s longest runway.

The airport facilities passengers with many facilities. Some of the notable facilities are:

Facilities

DUTY-FREE SHOP
ATMs and Banks
Passenger Porter Services
Prayer Area
Tuck Shop & Restaurants
Rental Car

10. Turbat International Airport

turbat international airport - airports in pakistan - ahgroup-pk

Turbat Internation Airport is a secondary international airport in Pakistan but it provides air transportation services to more than 34,858 passengers each year. In the province of Baluchistan, the airport covers a large land area, and it is the 2^nd largest airport in Baluchistan after Quetta International Airport. The operation at the airport started in 1970. After a year, the PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) launched flights to the airport.

In addition, the PIA is the only airline operating from the Airport. However, Sharjah-based carrier obatained clearance from Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to start weekly flights between Turbat and Sharjah via Gwadar.

Facilities

Air Cargo
ATMs, Currency Exchange, and Banks
Passenger Facilitation Services (PFS)
Airport Border Control
Café and Restrooms
Emergency & Medical

Conclusion

With the widespread network of airports in Pakistan, the country exposed its doors to international tourism and investment. We discussed airports in Pakistan including international, military, and domestic airports. After that, we discussed about top 10 international airports chronologically ordered based on traffic flow, their locations, and facilities. For further details, keep visiting the AH Blog.