Islamabad International Airport

Coordinates: 33°36′59″N 073°05′57″E / 33.61639, 73.09917

Islamabad International Airport or Chaklala Airbase (Urdu: چکلالہ) (IATA: ISB, ICAO: OPRN) is the third largest civil airport in Pakistan, it is located in Rawalpindi, in the province of Punjab. In fiscal year 2004-2005, over 2.8 million passengers used Islamabad International Airport. 23,436 aircraft movements were registered.[1] The current location of the airport is shared with the Pakistan Air Force. The new location of the Islamabad International Airport has been selected at Fateh Jang, nearly 5km from Islamabad. The construction of the new airport is underway and completion is estimated to be in 2010. The airport houses some squadrons of the Pakistan Air Force, but these squadrons do not contain fighter jets rather they are composed cargo and liaison planes. The airport is actually located outside of Islamabad, closer to the city of Rawalpindi, in an area known as Chaklala. Being the main airport for the Pakistani capital it often hosts officials and citizens from other nations. Due to the ever-growing need for better facilities and services available for passengers, The Government of Pakistan is working with foreign consturction companies to develop a world-class airport in Islamabad, New Islamabad International Airport. It has been estimated that the airport will be the biggest in Pakistan.

History

The airport was previously called Rawalpindi International Airport and its official IATA code was RWP. As Islamabad International Airport is merged with the PAF operations, the airport hosts many military flights as well as the civilian flights. The airport is more commonly referred to Chaklala. During 2005, when Pakistan-administered of Kashmir was stuck by the 7.6 killer earthquake, there was a major operation taking place at Islamabad International Airport. It caused a huge increase in traffic at the airport. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced on January 7, 2005 the first-ever green-field airport would be built in Islamabad at a cost of $300 million. The contract signing ceremony was held at the CAA headquarters at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. Pervez Akhtar Nawaz, (Director General CAA, Air Marshal) signed an agreement with a renowned international consultant, Louis Berger Group of USA in association with Pakistani consulting firm ECIL, to undertake project management services. While the first contract for Project Management Services is signed, the CAA is close to receiving bids and proposals from international design consultants and signature architects for design of the new airport. It is envisaged that the Design Consultants will commence their services by the end of March 2006. Soon after the mobilization of the Project Management Consultants, other processes for invitation of bids and award of construction contracts will be initiated. It is anticipated that the new facility will become operational by 2010. The new airport site is located on 3,200 acres (13 km²) of land, acquired by CAA in 1980s at Pind Ranjha near Fateh Jang, some 20 km from Zero-Point, Islamabad and 23 km from Saddar, Rawalpindi involving driving time of only 20-25 minutes through network of motorways and highways. The airport will be developed at par with international standards to serve as major hub for all aviation activities in the region. Estimated to cost about $400 million, the new airport facility, which is the first green-field airport in Pakistan, shall comprise a contemporary state-of-the-art passenger terminal building, control tower, runway with a provision of a secondary runway, taxiways, apron, cargo complex, and hangar together with all the necessary infrastructure and ancillary facilities. It would cater to the requirements of latest generation of modern passenger aircraft. The new airport will have a modular design to handle 6.5 million passengers per annum and 80,000 metric tonnes cargo per annum. Being a new airport, a significant portion of the land has been earmarked for commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, hotel and convention centre, air malls, business centre, food courts, leisure and recreational facilities. The new airport is envisaged to be a modern landmark structure symbolic to represent twenty-first century Pakistan, as it will be the diplomatic and business gateway to Pakistan through the Capital City of Islamabad. The CAA has announced that the new airport is to be named "Gandhara International Airport" after the ancient Buddhist kingdom.^[4] President Musharraf has laid the foundation stone of the project on April 7, 2007. This airport is the largest and most modern airport in Pakistan. Its total area is 3700 acres (15 km²). It will be completed within four years (December 2010). The construction work has started. It will be completed in two Phases. Work on 1st phase has started & will be completed in about one year. The official said that through a letter, the Ministry of Defence has requested the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to include the area where the new airport will be situated in the capital territory and issue a notification to this effect at the earliest possible time. Brigadier (r) Masood Islam, Project Director of the New Islamabad Airport was gunned down in mysterious circumstances in his site office in Pind Ranjha at Fateh Jang Road, police said. However, this tragic news has not stopped the development of the airport and the new airport is entering its second phase of construction. French company Aéroports de Paris Ingenierie (ADPi) and CPG Corporation (www.cpgcorp.com.sg) of Singapore have been selected for designing the airport infrastructure and terminal building of NIIA. The project was worked out through three different levels namely concept designing, primary and final designing.^[5].

Airlines and destinations

The baggage claim for international passengers at the airport

• Airblue (Dubai, Karachi, Manchester)
• Ariana Afghan Airlines (Kabul)
• British Airways (London-Heathrow)
• China Southern Airlines (Kashi, Urumqi)
• Emirates Airline (Dubai)
• Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi)
• Gulf Air (Bahrain)
• Kuwait Airways (Kuwait)
• Pakistan International Airlines (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahawalpur, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Beijing, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Gilgit, Hong Kong, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jeddah, Kabul, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, London-Heathrow, Manchester, Milan-Malpensa, Multan, New York-JFK, Oslo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Riyadh, Saidu Sharif, Skardu, Sukkur, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson)
• Qatar Airways (Doha)
• Saudi Arabian Airlines (Jeddah, Riyadh)
• Shaheen Air International (Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain, Doha, Dubai, Karachi, Kuwait, Leeds/Bradford [Starting 7th of February], London-Luton [Starting 5th of February], Muscat)
• Thai Airways International (Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi)

Cargo airlines

• Emirates SkyCargo
• PIA Cargo
• Royal Airlines Cargo
• Star Air
• TCS Couriers

Charter airlines

• Askari Aviation
• Royal Airlines

Lounges

There are separate lounges for international and domestic economy passengers. The domestic and international lounges have been provided all the required facilities that include snack bars, public telephone and internet services. There are also lounges for transit passengers who may be traveling further internationally or domestically. The lounges also have designated prayer areas.

CIP / VIP Lounge

The CIP/VIP lounge can be used by first and business class passengers traveling on international or domestic flights. Passengers have to be issued an airline card from the check-in staff. It costs six dollars per passenger and one hundred rupees for domestic passengers. There are also televisions, newspapers and magazines, telephones, fax and free internet. Passengers who are searching for banks that have credit card facilities can use the Askari Commercial Bank.

Rawal Lounge

Situated in the capital city of Pakistan. Islamabad International Airport handles VIP passengers who are foreign diplomats and high government or military officials. Rawal lounges have been designated for use by such passengers. It provides an executive environment with all the required facilities.^[6]

Events

• On February 15, 2002, Erik Audé was arrested at Islamabad International Airport for opium possession.

See also

• List of airports in Pakistan
• Airlines of Pakistan
• Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
• Shaheen Airport Services
• Transport in Pakistan

Notes

References

External links

• Islamabad International Airport, official web site
• Accident history for ISB at Aviation Safety Network
• Aerial photo at WikiMapia