Gilgit Airport
Script error: No such module "redirect hatnote". Template:Infobox airport
Gilgit Airport (Template:Comma separated entries) is a small domestic airport situated 1.25 nm (2.3 km) east of Gilgit,[1] a city in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan. The city of Gilgit is one of the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in the northern areas of Pakistan.
Structure
Because of the location of the runway in the Gilgit valley, larger aircraft can not operate at the airport. The airport has a 5,400ft long runway 07/25 but it is not aligned with the length of the valley that makes it hard for take offs or landings from both sides. Very rarely aircraft land or take from the CAA park side of the runway. Pakistan International Airlines currently operates ATR 42 aircraft on the Gilgit-Islamabad route. In the past, Fokker F-27 Friendships were used. Other aircraft that operate at the airport include the military Lockheed C-130 Hercules. In the event of a diversion or aborted landing due to bad weather, inbound aircraft typically return to Islamabad, so care must be taken to carry enough fuel for the round trip.
A new terminal was constructed in 2014 and inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[2]
The airport was planned to be twice as extensive, but waterlogged ground led to half the allocated land being used for a public park, CAA Park or City Park Gilgit.
Airport history
Gilgit historically received aircraft before partition of the Indian subcontinent. Even today almost the same route is used by the pilots to reach Gilgit airport. Weather condition and good visibility is a must for Gilgit-Islamabad flight operations.[3]
The airport was originally constructed in 1949, It was later upgraded in 1958 with pavement.
Airlines and destinations
Due to the small size of the airport, smaller aircraft mostly turboprops like ATR-42 and C-130 are able to safely land and take off from this airport. Flights are scheduled mostly from Islamabad. However, in 2022, PIA started flights from Karachi and Lahore through a stopover at Islamabad.[4] Template:Airport-dest-list
Accidents
- On August 25, 1989, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, a Fokker F27 carrying 54 people, disappeared after leaving Gilgit. The wreckage has not been found.[5]
- On July 20, 2019, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 605, an ATR carrying 53 people, skidded off the runway and came to rest on the grass. All the passengers were evacuated safely, but the plane was damaged.[6]
Flight updates
While not an official airline source, gilgitairport.com offers a platform for travelers to access potentially up-to-date information on flight status, gathered and verified locally.[7]
See also
- List of airports in Pakistan
- Airlines of Pakistan
- Skardu International Airport
- Chilas Airfield
- Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
References
- ↑ AIP Pakistan: OPGT – Gilgit Template:Webarchive
- ↑ "Gilgit gets new airport building", Greater Kashmir, December 6, 2014, updated March 14, 2015.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ "PIA to resume Gilgit, Skardu flights on Mar 3", Dawn, February 19, 2022.
- ↑ "Aircraft accident Fokker F27 Friendship AP-BBF Himalaya Mountains", Aviation Safety Network, retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ↑ "PIA plane escapes accident at Gilgit airport", Pakistan Today, July 20, 2019.
- ↑ "About GilgitAirport.com", GilgitAirport, December 20, 2023.