Pakistan has a total of 69 airports, including three major hubs in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore. Six additional medium-sized airports are located in Peshawar, Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Quetta, and Sukkur, while the remaining are classified as smaller airports.
Most civil airports in Pakistan are operated by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. However, Sialkot International Airport, owned by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stands out as Pakistan's first privately owned airport, also the first of its kind in South Asia, and is open to both domestic and international flights. Military airbases are primarily managed by the Pakistan Air Force, except for the Dhamial and Tarbela Army Aviation Airbases, which are under the Pakistan Army's jurisdiction.
Names shown in bold indicate the airport has scheduled service on commercial airlines.
List of military airbases.
City | Province | ICAO | IATA | Airport name | Former usage | Coordinates | Current status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chaklala | Punjab | OPRN | Chaklala | OPRN | PAF Base Nur Khan |
Transport in Pakistan is extensive and varied. In recent years, new national highways have been built, with the addition of motorways which have improved trade and logistics within the country. Pakistan's rail network is also undergoing expansion in recent years. Airports and seaports have been built with the addition of foreign and domestic funding. Transportation challenges in Pakistan are escalating due to poor planning, inadequate governance, and corrupt practices.
Benazir Bhutto International Airport is an airport which formerly served the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area. It was the second-largest airport by air traffic in Pakistan, until 12 May 2021 when it was replaced by the new Islamabad International Airport. Also known as Chaklala Airbase, it was renamed after the late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007) in June 2008. The airport handled 4,767,860 passengers in 2015–16, compared to 3,610,566 in 2010–11.
Bhoja Air was a Pakistani airline based in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Faisalabad International Airport is an international airport and standby Pakistan Air Force military base situated on Jhang Road, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of the city centre of Faisalabad, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The airport is home to two flying schools who use the airfield for regular training for new cadets and aviation enthusiasts.
Multan International Airport is an international airport located 4 km west of Multan, Pakistan. The airport is South Punjab's largest and busiest airport. Multan International Airport offers flights throughout Pakistan, as well as direct flights to Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Bahawalpur Airport is situated 2 nm (3.7 km) from the city centre of Bahawalpur, in lower Punjab, Pakistan. The airport mainly caters to the city of Bahawalpur, however, the national carrier decided to launch international flights to the Middle East in July 2009. The airport extension project is being supervised by the Dubai Civil Aviation Department.
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) is a state-owned autonomous body under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation, which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in Pakistan. PCAA's head office is situated in Terminal-1 of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. PCAA is a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Nearly all 44 civilian airports in Pakistan are owned and operated by the PCAA.
Skardu International Airport is an international airport in Skardu, in the Pakistani territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. It also serves as a forward operating base of the Pakistan Air Force.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) (Urdu: محکمہ موسمیات پاکستان, also known as Pakistan Met Office), is an autonomous and independent institution tasked with providing weather forecasts and public warnings concerning weather for protection, safety and general information.
Jinnah International Airport, formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi Civil Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017–2018. Located in Karachi, the largest city and commercial capital of Pakistan and capital of the province of Sindh, it is named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the statesman founder of Pakistan. It is one of the oldest airports in the world.
Lahore Area Control Centre is one of three Area Control Centers in Pakistan operated by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and based at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. Lahore ACC air traffic controllers provide en route and terminal control services to aircraft in the Lahore Flight Information Region (FIR). The Lahore FIR airspace covers Pakistani airspace between the 30° North to 37° North. To the south is the Karachi FIR. To the north is the Urumqi FIR. To the east is the Delhi FIR. To the west is the Kabul FIR.