Allama Iqbal International Airport (Urdu: علامہ اقبال بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا, IATA: LHE, ICAO: OPLA) is the third largest civilian airport by traffic in Pakistan, after Jinnah International Airport, Karachi and Islamabad International Airport. It serves Lahore, capital of Punjab and second-largest city of Pakistan. It also serves a large portion of the travellers from the other regions of Punjab province. Originally known as Lahore International Airport, it was renamed after the poet philosopher Allama Iqbal, one of the pioneers that led to the creation of Pakistan. The airport has three terminals: the Allama Iqbal terminal, the Hajj terminal and a cargo terminal. The airport is about 15 km from the centre of the city.[4]

Allama Iqbal International Airport علامہ اقبال بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا
IATA: LHE ICAO: OPLA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
Serves	Lahore
Location	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Hub for	Pakistan International Airlines Pakistan Aviators & Aviation
Elevation AMSL	698 ft / 213 m
Coordinates	31°31′17″N 74°24′12″E
Website	www.lahoreairport.com.pk
Maps
Location of airport in Lahore
LHE/OPLA Location of airport in Lahore Show map of Punjab, Pakistan LHE/OPLA LHE/OPLA (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan LHE/OPLA LHE/OPLA (South Asia) Show map of South Asia LHE/OPLA LHE/OPLA (Middle East) Show map of Middle East LHE/OPLA LHE/OPLA (Asia) Show map of Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 18R/36L 8,999 2,743 Asphalt 18L/36R 11,024 3,360 Concrete
Statistics (2021–22)
Passengers 9,037,951 Aircraft movements 37, 547 5.6% Cargo handled 105,019 metric tons
Source: World Aero Data DAFIF[1][2] Statistics from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority[3]

History

Post independence

At the time of the Independence of Pakistan, Walton Airport was the main airport of Lahore. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) acquired its first jet aircraft Boeing 720, Walton Airport was unable to handle the load of Boeing 720. The Government of Pakistan decided to build a brand new airport, which opened in 1962.[4] The airport had a specifically built runway and apron to handle aircraft up to the Boeing 747. This opened Lahore's gates to the world.[5] PIA initiated direct flights to Dubai and London via Karachi.[4]

Expansion

New Airport

Over the course of the next twenty-five years, the demand for air travel rose. The government had to build a bigger terminal to meet the growing needs of the region. In March 2003, a new terminal was inaugurated by President General Pervez Musharraf, originally commissioned by then ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The airport was named Allama Iqbal International Airport and became the second largest airport in Pakistan after the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. All flights were switched to the new airport and the old airport was passed onto the military. However, the government later reclaimed the airport from the military and developed it into a Hajj terminal.

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority awarded the main contract to Airsys ATM, leader of a consortium with J&P Overseas Ltd, an international building and civil engineering contractor. Airsys ATM is a joint project from Thomson-CSF Airsys and Siemens, dedicated to air traffic management systems and airport development. The Airports Group in the UK was also awarded a $70 million contract for airport systems construction. The project was implemented by a consortium of Joannou & Paraskevaides (J&P), responsible for civil and building works, and the Airports Group, responsible for the implementation of the system. Airsys ATM and Thales ATM were responsible for the fabrication and installation of the air bridges at the new terminal.

In March 2006, PIA inaugurated nonstop services between Lahore and Toronto using Boeing 777s.[6][7] In 2008, the national flag carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, opened a dedicated aircraft line maintenance facility at the airport. The facility is used for day-to-day technical line maintenance on Etihad aircraft, including hydraulic structural and instrument checks.[8]

In October 2020, British Airways has resumed its direct flight operations to and from Lahore after 44 years.[9][10]

Future plans

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has planned the expansion of the terminal building and the number of gates will be increased from 7 to 22, with a corresponding increase in remote bays. This will increase the annual passenger capacity of Lahore Airport from 6 million to 20 million which will be sufficient to cater to the passenger load for the next 15 to 20 years.

The new design of the Lahore Airport Expansion Project has inspiration from the national flower of Pakistan, Jasmine or locally known as "Chambeli". The airport will have 4 arms similar to 4 platters of Jasmine flower. The original building has Mughal architectural features but the new airport will have a blend of Spanish and Mughal Architecture.

Gates in the main terminal building will be increased from seven to twenty-two. The present terminal building will not be demolished but will be expanded. The current parking area will be converted to arrival and departure lounges. The first phase that included the construction of the triple storey parking, in place of the front square lawn, has been complete and is now fully operational. The second phase which includes the upgradation of the main runway is underway.

The design of the airport was developed by GilBartolomé Architects[11] from Spain, following a contract awarded to international Spanish Firm, TYSPA International,[12] which firm also worked on expanding the Madrid and São Paulo Airports. A Chinese firm, the China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, has been awarded the contract, worth US$382 million (RMB 2.6 billion CNY), to carry out the construction work.[13] During the expansion of the airport, nearby road network has also been improved, which has helped to ease traffic congestion on the roads leading to the terminal.

Structure

This article is in list format but may read better as prose. (November 2019)

LHE is fitted with all the essentials for domestic and international flights. The information below is correct as of September 2020.[14]

The new terminal (airside)

PIA 777-200LR docked on the jet-bridge.

PIA F-27 on a remote stand

Holding Lounge

Arrival Boards

Apron

• 7 air bridges with PSS & APSS facilities.
• 23 remote parking stands.

Runway

• Two parallel runways one concrete the other asphalt.
• Runway 36R/18L: 3,360 metres long, 45 metres wide, 15 metres shoulders on both sides. Max capacity: Airbus A380.
• Runway 36L/18R: 2,743 metres long, 46 metres wide. Max capacity: Boeing 747-400.
• Parallel taxi way for rapid entry/exit.
• 2 Rapid exit taxiways (Newly constructed).
• Instrument Landing System Category-II and ILS CAT-III on RWY 36R.[15]
• Navigational Aids: DVOR/DME/TDME, NDB, OM, MM

Airport services

• Pakistan State Oil provides fuel services to all airlines flying out of the airport. (Jet A-100)
• Fire fighting and Rescue Services. Category: 9
• FIDS systems located in the lounges and briefing concourses showing television programmes and flight information.
• Airport Mosque, with five times daily and Jummah prayers, located outside the airport left-hand side of the terminal building.
• CAA Porter services and Metro cab services are available.
• Custom and Immigration for international flights.
• Cargo and luggage wrapping services.
• Passenger assistance services (upon request).
• ATMs provided by MCB Bank Ltd, Allied Bank Ltd, National Bank of Pakistan, and Habib Bank Limited. The MCB ATM is linked to Mastercard; the ABL ATM is linked to Visa; the Habib Bank ATM is linked to Visa and Mastercard. All four are linked to China UnionPay and to the domestic 1LINK, MNET and PayPak switches. All these ATMs are also equipped with the IBFT (Interbank Funds Transfer) facility. Standard Chartered Bank also offers two offsite ATMs within 1 km radius of the airport.

Ground handling agents

• Pakistan International Airlines.
• Shaheen Airport Services (SAPS).
• Royal Airport Services (RAS).
• Gerry's DNATA Ground Handling & Cargo.

Additional

• Airfield Restrictions: None

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

This section does not cite any sources. (January 2021)

Statistics

The following table provides details of the major traffic flows out of Lahore in terms of passenger numbers, aircraft movements, cargo and mail. Note that the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan operates with fiscal years starting on July and ending in June of next year. The results were collected from the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan website.:[31]

Busiest routes at Allama Iqbal International Airport (by number of flights weekly)

Rank	City	Country	Number of flights	Airlines
1	Karachi	Pakistan	61	airblue, Pakistan International Airlines, Serene Air, AirSial
2	Jeddah	Saudi Arabia	33	airblue, Pakistan International Airlines, Saudia
3	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	26	airblue, Emirates, Pakistan International Airlines
4	Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	22	airblue, Etihad Airways, Pakistan International Airlines
5	Doha	Qatar	21	Qatar Airways
6	Islamabad	Pakistan	17	Pakistan International Airlines
7	Muscat	Oman	16	Oman Air, Pakistan International Airlines
8	Dammam	Saudi Arabia	12	flynas, Pakistan International Airlines, SaudiGulf Airlines
9	Riyadh	Saudi Arabia	10	flynas, Pakistan International Airlines, Saudia
10	Kuwait City	Kuwait	09	Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways

Awards and recognitions

• Allama Iqbal International Airport was ranked the world's leading airport by Singapore Airlines in-service performance in 2006.[32]

See also

• Airlines of Pakistan
• List of airports in Pakistan
• Shaheen Airport Services
• Transport in Pakistan

References

External links

Media related to Allama Iqbal International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Allama Iqbal International Airport
• Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore
• Accident history for LHE at Aviation Safety Network
• Aeronautical chart and airport information for OPLA at SkyVector
• Current weather for OPLA at NOAA/NWS

На других языках

[de] Allama Iqbal International Airport

[es] Aeropuerto Internacional Allama Iqbal

[fr] Aéroport international Allama Iqbal

[it] Aeroporto Internazionale Allama Iqbal