Islamabad International Airport
Islamabad International Airport
Read on to find out more on Islamabad International Airport, the facilities and services it has on offer, the top destinations to fly to from the airport and with which airlines you can do this with.
About Islamabad International Airport
Islamabad International Airport (IATA: ISB) is a public airport that currently serves up to 9 million passengers each year. This is set to rise to 25 million passengers each year by 2024 after further planned expansions to the airport.
The airport opened in May 2018 replacing the defunct Benazir Bhutto International Airport and serves cities within the United States. The airport has an area over 3,200 acres with two runways and is looking to acquire 2,833 worth of land to build a third runway.
In terms of passenger capacity, the airport is one of the largest airports in Pakistan that are able to serve 9 million passengers each year in its first phase. Moreover, it's the first and only airport in Pakistan that can handle the Airbus A380 and is expected to become a major hub serving Northern Pakistan domestically. The airport is a hub for the flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines.
Islamabad International Airport Location
The airport is located 12.4 miles (20 km) west of the city of Rawalpindi of Colorado Springs and 18.6 miles (30 km) southwest of the city of Islamabad:
Facilities
Islamabad International Airport provides facilities and services to offer comfort and ease for its travellers. The airport in total 15 gates with 10 remote gates as well as duty-free shops, food courts and 42 immigration counters.
Facilities Include:
A wide range of shopping and dining places are available from well-known restaurants, duty-free shops.
Free WiFi Accessibility
Mobile Charging
Duty-free shops
Prayer Room
Luggage Wrapping
ATMs
Banks
Currency Exchange
Lounges Include:
Airline Lounge (Airside, International Departures): includes beverages, air conditioning, WiFi, TV, telephone, disabled access, telephone, newspapers and magazines.
CIP Lounge (International Terminal, Airside, Upper Level): includes beverages, air conditioning, Internet, TV, telephone, disabled access, conference rooms, showers, newspapers and magazines.
Runways
Islamabad International Airport currently has two runways.
| Direction | Length (ft) | Length (m) | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28L/10R | 12,000 | 3,657 | Asphalt |
| 28R/10L | 12,000 | 3,657 | Asphalt |
Terminals
Main Terminal
The main terminal consists of 15 gates with 10 remote gates, duty-free shops, a food court and 42 immigration counters. Being a new airport, an important amount of the land has been given for commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, business centre, food courts, leisure, hotel and convention centre, air malls, and cinema facilities.
Airlines that fly to Islamabad International Airport
The table below consists of all the airlines that fly passenger services from Islamabad International Airport:
The Most Popular International Destinations
| Rank | City and Country | Number of Flights | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi, Pakistan | 74 | Airblue, Pakistan International Airlines, Serene Air |
| 2 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 33 | Airblue, Emirates, Pakistan International Airlines |
| 3 | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 30 | Airblue, Pakistan International Airlines, Saudia |
| 4 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 27 | Airblue, Etihad Airways, Pakistan International Airlines |
| 5 | Doha, Qatar | 18 | Pakistan International Airlines, Qatar Airways |
| 6 | Lahore, Pakistan | 17 | Pakistan International Airlines |
| 7 | Quetta, Pakistan | 15 | Pakistan International Airlines, Serene Air |
| 8 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 13 | Flynas, Pakistan International Airlines, Saudia |
| 9 | Gilgit, Pakistan | 12 | Pakistan International Airlines |
| 10 | Muscat, Oman | 12 | Oman Air, Pakistan International Airlines |
How to get to Islamabad International Airport
By Road
There are a number of taxis available at the airport Colorado Springs Airport. The airport is connected to Islamabad via the Kashmir Highway and Rawalpindi via the GT Road. It takes only almost 20 minutes to reach Islamabad or Rawalpindi's city centre by taxi.
By Public Transport
The Islamabad Metrobus is one form of public transport people use around the city. The Metrobus is being expanded to link to the airport.
By Rental Vehicle
There are rental services available at the airport however no further information is available at this time.