Gilgit Airport (IATA: GIL, ICAO: OPGT) is a small domestic airport situated 1.25 nm (2.3 km) east of Gilgit,[4] 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.
Gilgit Airport گلگت ہوائی اڈا | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Serves | Gilgit-15100, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 4,796 ft / 1,462 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 35°55′07″N 074°20′01″E / 35.91861°N 74.33361°E | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
GIL GIL | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2018–19[1][2][3]) | |||||||||||
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Because of its short runway located at the edge of a slope, even Boeing 737s and similar-sized jet aircraft cannot operate at Gilgit Airport. Pakistan International Airlines 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.
A new terminal was constructed in 2014 and inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[5]
The airport was planned to be twice as extensive, but waterlogged ground led to half the land being instead used for a public park, CAA Park or City Park Gilgit.
Due to the small size of the airport planes like ATR-42 and C-130 are able to safely land on this airport. Flights are scheduled mostly from Islamabad. However, in 2022, PIA started flights from Karachi and Lahore through a stopover at Islamabad.[6]
Airlines | Destinations |
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Pakistan International Airlines | Islamabad |
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.[9]
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.