Benazir Bhutto International Airport

Coordinates: 33°36′59″N 73°05′57″E / 33.61639°N 73.09917°E / 33.61639; 73.09917
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Benazir Bhutto International Airport

Islamabad International Airport
Chaklala Airbase
File:Benazir Intl Islamabad.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
OperatorCivil Aviation Authority of Pakistan
ServesIslamabad
LocationRawalpindi, Punjab
Elevation AMSL1,688 ft / 508 m
Websitewww.islamabadairport.com.pk
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
12/30 3,287 10,785 Asphalt
Sources: AIP Pakistan[1] and DAFIF[2][3]

Benazir Bhutto International Airport or Chaklala Airbase (Urdu: چکلالہ) (IATA: ISB, ICAO: OPRN) is the third largest airport in Pakistan, it is located in Rawalpindi, Punjab. It was previously known as Islamabad International Airport but was renamed after Benazir Bhutto by PM Yusuf Raza Gillani on Friday, 21 June 2008.[4]

The airport is actually located outside of Islamabad, in the area of Chaklala Rawalpindi. Being the main airport for the Pakistani capital it often hosts officials and citizens from other nations. The airfield is shared with the transport and liaison squadrons of the Pakistan Air Force.

Due to the ever-growing need for better facilities and services available for passengers, The Government of Pakistan is constructing a new airport in Islamabad. It has been estimated that the airport will be the biggest in Pakistan. The new location of the Islamabad International Airport has been selected at Fateh Jang (or at Tarnol, as reported by other sources [5]), nearly 5 km from Islamabad. The construction of the new airport is underway and completion is estimated to be in 2010. In fiscal year 2007-2008, over 4.8 million passengers used Benazir Bhutto International Airport. 49,775 aircraft movements were registered. It is a focus city of Airblue.The airport serves as the primary hub for the flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines. It is also the hub of Shaheen Air International.

Structure

The international baggage claim area, photographed 2006.

Benazir Bhutto International Airport is a civil and military airport which handles VIPs as well as public scheduled operations for many airlines. Foreign diplomats, high government officials as well as military officials are welcomed at this airport. The Rawal Lounge has been designated for use of these high profile personalities.[6]

There are separate lounges for international and domestic economy passengers. The domestic and international lounges have been provided with facilities that include snack bars, satellite TV, public telephones and Internet services. There are also lounges for transit passengers who may be travelling further internationally or domestically. The lounges also have designated prayer areas. The CIP lounge can be used by first and business class passengers travelling on international or domestic flights. Passengers have to be issued an airline card from the check-in staff. The cost is USD 6.00 per international passenger and 100 rupees for domestic passengers. There are also light savoury snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, satellite TVs, newspapers and magazines, telephones, fax facilities, and wireless internet. Passengers who require banks offer credit card facilities as well as ATMs. Askari Bank is a major bank located within this lounge.

The airport has a wide variety of duty-free shops, restaurants, wireless Internet services and souvenir arts and crafts shops. The current airport is able to handle eleven wide body aircraft at one time, with additional five parking places for general aviation aircraft. At the moment, the airport does not have any air bridges installed, so buses take the passengers from the airport terminal to the aircraft where air stairs are used.

There are numerous television monitors and mobile connecting points in the terminal to allow passengers to check flight times and recharge their phones. There are a string of financial exchange counters and commercial banks such as National Bank of Pakistan, Habib Bank Ltd, and MCB Bank Ltd. MCB and Royal Bank of Scotland [formerly ABN AMRO) have also launched ATMs that are linked to the global MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro networks.

To meet safety and health issues, the airport has also newly opened "Smoke Zones" within the lounge facilites. These are designated glass smoke boxes where passengers are allowed to smoke. The smoke is sucked out using the air conditioning so no smoke armours remain or spread within the airport lounges. The design is similiar to the ones seen at various international airports.

Airlines and destinations

Domestic

Rawalpindi acts as a secondary hub for the national flag carrier, PIA
File:A321-200.jpg
Airblue A321 at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
A British Airways Boeing 777 being prepared for a flight to London Heathrow
AirlinesDestinations
Airblue Karachi
Pakistan International Airlines Bahawalpur, Chitral, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Nawabshah, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Skardu, Sialkot, Sukkur
Shaheen Air International Karachi

International

AirlinesDestinations
Altyn Air Bishkek
Airblue Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manchester, Sharjah
Ariana Afghan Airlines Kabul
China Southern Airlines Urümqi
Emirates Dubai
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Gulf Air Bahrain
Kuwait Airways Kuwait
Pakistan International Airlines Al Ain, Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing-Capital, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jeddah, Kabul, Kathmandu, Kuwait, Leeds/Bradford, London-Heathrow, Manchester, Milan-Malpensa, Muscat, New York-JFK, Oslo-Gardermoen, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Riyadh, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson
Qatar Airways Doha
Saudi Arabian Airlines Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh
Shaheen Air International Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait
Royal Airlines Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sui Airport, Sukkur
Thai Airways International Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Emirates SkyCargo Dubai, Taipei-Taoyuan
Reem Air Sharjah
Royal Airlines Cargo
Star Air
TCS Couriers Dubai, Karachi, Lahore, London-Heathrow

Events

The USAF was a regular visitor to the airport, providing relief goods for the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, photographed 2005
  • On August 1 1948, a Onzeair Avro 691 Lancastrian XPP crash landed at the airport, due to poor adjustment by the foreign pilot and insecure cargo loads in the cabin causing the weight to alter causing the aircraft to become unbalanced. The aircraft was written off.
  • On May 18, 1959, a PIA Vickers 815 Viscount skidded off the runway causing the aircraft to stop in a monsoon ditch. The aircraft suffered substantial damage however no crew or passengers were harmed in the accident.
  • On July 9, 1971, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger flew from the then named Islamabad International Airport to meet with Zhou Enlai of China.
  • On February 4, 1986, a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 747-200 performed a belly landing at the airport. Apparently the crew had failed to release the landing on final approach. No passengers or crew were hurt and the airport received minimal damage.
  • On February 15, 2002, Erik Audé was arrested at Benazir Bhutto International Airport(then named Islamabad International Airport) for opium possession.
  • During October 2005, Islamabad handled additional aircraft that provided aid for the affected people of Kashmir after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. The largest of these aircraft was the An-225 Myria. Virgin Atlantic Airways also operated a special relief flight to Islamabad using a Boeing 747 with 55 tonnes of aid. [7]
  • On the account of the late Benazir Bhutto's 55th birthday on 21 June, 2008, Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani changed the name of Islamabad International Airport to Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

See also

References

  1. ^ AIP Pakistan: OPRN – ISLAMABAD / Chaklala International
  2. ^ Template:WAD
  3. ^ Airport information for ISB at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  4. ^ PM names Islamabad Airport as Benazir Bhutto International Airport - GEO.tv
  5. ^ New Islamabad Airport near Tarnol Soon
  6. ^ Islamabad International Airport: Rawal Lounge
  7. ^ Virgin Atlantic Operates Relief Flight To Islamabad, Pakistan

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

References


33°36′59″N 73°05′57″E / 33.61639°N 73.09917°E / 33.61639; 73.09917

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