According to the majority of studies about Airports, the increase in the movement of things and people all around the world is due to the growing trend of globalization. People travel among countries in order to produce or exchange various products. Moreover, the advancements in science and technology are also among the main reasons for increased movement in people.
In addition to these, specifically in Pakistan the government policies in recent years to promote tourism in the country have become the most important factor in people’s traveling among countries. People from all over the world come to Pakistan to spend their vacations in beautiful places with natural beauty. Nowadays, the number of tourists in the northern area, especially in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, is rising at a high rate since the Skardu Airport got an international airport status and started direct flights from the main cities of the country.
Tourists can now have direct flights from Lahore to Skardu, Karachi to Skardu, and from some other countries. There are mainly two ways of traveling including by air and by road. People usually travel by air in order to save time and have an easy journey. Various airlines offer flights from and to different cities in Pakistan. Therefore, the main airports of the country including the Jinnah International Airport Karachi, Islamabad International Airport, Allama Iqbal International Airport, etc remain busy all the time. Here is the list of the largest airports in Pakistan.
1 Jinnah International Airport
The Jinnah International Airport is located in Karachi which is the main commercial capital of the country. The airport was named after the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is the largest and busiest airport in Pakistan operating 20 airlines to and from 36 destinations. The Civil Aviation Authority manages the airport.
The airport has a capacity of managing 12 million passengers annually. Many airlines use it as their main hub, however, it is the primary hub of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The airport has one main terminal with two concourses. The East satellite concourse is used for international flights and the West satellite concourse is used for domestic flights. Moreover, it has two runways of 3,200m and 3,400m respectively. The busiest route at the airport by a number of flights weekly is from Islamabad with 105 flights. After Islamabad, Dubai, Lahore, Jeddah, and Sharjah are on the list of the busiest routes at the Jinnah International Airport Karachi.
2 Islamabad International Airport
The Islamabad International Airport is the second-largest and busiest airport in Pakistan. It is the only airport in Pakistan capable of operating the Airbus A380. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) identifies the airport with the code ‘ISB’. The airport terminal has 15 gates with 10 ten remote gates and 42 immigration counters. You can also find duty-free shops and food courts at the airport. The busiest route at the airport by a number of flights weekly is from Karachi, Pakistan with 92 flights. Dubai is the second busiest route with 33 flights in a week. After that, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are on the list of the busiest routes at the Islamabad International Airport. Airblue, AirSial, Pakistan International Airlines, Emirates, and Serene Air are among the main airlines operating their flights from and to the Islamabad International Airport.
3 Allama Iqbal International Airport
Allama Iqbal International Airport with IATA code ‘LHE’ is located in the second largest city of Pakistan, Lahore. The airport was named after the great philosopher and poet, Allama Muhammad Iqbal who had a great contribution to the creation of the country. It has three terminals naming the Hajj terminal, the Allama Iqbal terminal, and the cargo terminal. Airport is located at a distance of around 15 kilometers from the main center. The airport has two runways, one concrete, and another asphalt. Moreover, it has 23 remote parking stands. Other services at the airport include fire fighting, rescue, cargo, luggage wrapping, and many other services.
4 Skardu Airport International
Human beings are being bestowed with the curiosity to see, smell and taste new things. The forces of globalization have provided them with all the necessities to quench this curiosity. People can now travel to any part of the world to know novel places and cultures. It has resulted in a major boom in the tourism industry. Pakistan has one of the most beautiful landscapes.
Millions of tourists annually visit Pakistan and more than half of them come specifically to visit Gilgit Baltistan. Gilgit Baltistan is in the northern region of Pakistan. Different places coupled with diverse cultures make it attractive for adventure lovers across the world. Its unique landscape consists of the most famous mountains including the second highest peak of K- Other famous places include the Manthokha waterfall, Shigar Fort, Khaplu Fort, Deosai Plains, and Shangrilla resort and Satpara lake, etc.
Furthermore, it has a very rich biodiversity containing 230 species of birds and 54 species of mammals among others. Similarly, its cultural variety is also astonishing. It has five major ethnicities and five different languages with 36 dialects. Along with it, the presence of more than 50 archaeological sites made it a world of fascination for culture lovers. But, in spite of all these peculiarities, this region has always remained unpopular due to the lack of proper tourism infrastructures. Luckily, the current government of Pakistan has decided to allow international flights to be operated at Skardu airport.
