Islamabad International Airport

Islamabad International is Pakistan's newest major airport and the primary gateway to the federal capital, its twin city Rawalpindi, and the greenfield government and diplomatic districts that anchor the country's political economy. It opened in 2018 approximately 25 km west of Islamabad, replacing the 1960s-era Benazir Bhutto International at the old Chaklala site, which is now fully military (PAF Base Nur Khan). ISB is the largest airport in Pakistan by land area and the first greenfield major airport built in the country since independence. Two parallel runways — both at 3,658 m (12,001 ft), one designated 10R/28L for widebodies — support approximately 79 routes to 40 destinations across 29 airlines, making it Pakistan's second-busiest airport after Karachi. Pakistan International Airlines maintains its largest hub here, with Saudia, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, FlyDubai, Air China, Thai Airways, and Oman Air anchoring international service. The route network is heavily weighted toward the Gulf — reflecting the more than 4M Pakistanis working in GCC countries — with secondary concentrations on the UK, mainland Europe, China (a Belt and Road aviation corridor), and Central Asia. The three-story terminal offers 42 gates, 15 jet bridges, and design capacity of 9M passengers, with provisioning for an eventual second phase to reach 25M. ISB also serves the northern Pakistan tourism catchment, including Murree and the Karakoram/Gilgit-Baltistan region accessed via onward PIA domestic connections. Actual traffic reached approximately 8M passengers in 2023. The airport is Pakistan's principal alternate for Kabul and regional diplomatic and UN flights, and it has hosted Chinese chartered operations linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.