Allama Iqbal International Airport علامہ اقبال بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈه | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Lahore | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Lahore-54810,Punjab,Pakistan | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1962; 63 years ago (1962) | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | Pakistan International Airlines | ||||||||||||||
| Operating base for | SereneAir | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 213 m / 698 ft | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 31°31′17″N74°24′12″E / 31.52139°N 74.40333°E /31.52139; 74.40333 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  LHE/OPLA  LHE/OPLA | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (July 2023 – June 2024) | |||||||||||||||
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| Source: Statistics from thePakistan Civil Aviation Authority[1] | |||||||||||||||
Allama Iqbal International Airport (Punjabi /Urdu:علامہ اقبال بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا,IATA:LHE,ICAO:OPLA) is the third largest civilian airport by traffic inPakistan, afterJinnah International Airport inKarachi andIslamabad International Airport. It servesLahore, the capital ofPunjab province, and thesecond-largest city of Pakistan. It also serves a large number of travellers from the other nearby regions ofPunjab province.
Originally known asLahore International Airport, it was renamed after the Islamic philosopher and poetAllama Muhammad Iqbal, one of the pioneers that led to thecreation of Pakistan. The airport has three terminals: the Allama Iqbal terminal, theHajj terminal and acargo terminal. The airport is about 15 km from the city centre.[2]
At the time of theIndependence of Pakistan,Walton Airport was the main airport serving the city of Lahore. WhenPakistan International Airlines (PIA) acquired its first jet aircraft, theBoeing 720,Walton Airport was unequipped to handle such an aircraft. The Government of Pakistan decided to build a brand new airport on the site of a 3 runway airbase, which opened in 1962.[2] The airport had a specifically built runway and apron to handle aircraft up to theBoeing 747. This enabled Lahore to become accessible by international flights.[3] PIA initiated direct flights to bothDubai, andLondon viaKarachi.[2]
Over the course of the next 25 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 byPresident GeneralPervez Musharraf, originally commissioned by then ex-Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif. The airport was namedAllama Iqbal International Airport and became the second largest airport inPakistan after theJinnah International Airport inKarachi. 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 aHajj terminal.
ThePakistan Civil Aviation Authority awarded the main contract to Airsys ATM, leader of a consortium withJ&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 theUK 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 service between Lahore and Toronto using Boeing 777s.[4][5] In 2008, the national flag carrier of theUAE,Etihad Airways, opened a dedicatedaircraft 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.[6]
In October 2020,British Airways resumed its direct flight operations to and from Lahore after 44 years. However, flights were prosponed 3 years later.[7][8]
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has planned to expand the terminal building, increasing the number of gates from 7 to 22, along with a corresponding rise in remote bays. This expansion will boost the annual passenger capacity of Lahore Airport from 6 million to 20 million, which will be sufficient to accommodate passenger demand 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 four arms similar to four platters of jasmine flower.[clarification needed] The original building hasMughal architectural features but the new airport will have a blend ofSpanish andMughal architecture.
Gates in the main terminal building will increase from seven to 22. The existing terminal building will not be demolished but will be expanded. The current parking area will be converted into arrival and departure lounges. The first phase, which included the construction of a three-story parking facility in place of the front square lawn, has been completed and is now fully operational. The second phase, which involves upgrading the main runway, is currently underway.
The design of the airport was developed by GilBartolomé Architects[9] from Spain, following a contract awarded to international Spanish Firm, TYSPA International,[10] 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.[11] 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.
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LHE is fitted with all the essentials for domestic and international flights. The information below is correct as of September 2020.[12]
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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 theCivil Aviation Authority of Pakistan website.:[40]
| Fiscal year | Aircraft movements | Passengers (intl & domestic) | Cargo handled (m. tons) | Mail handled (m. tons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 30,991 | 2,779,223 | 66,643 | 1,582 |
| 2007 | 29,298 | 3,018,220 | 75,816 | 1,713 |
| 2008 | 30,299 | 3,217,844 | 76,030 | 1,113 |
| 2009 | 24,804 | 3,506,262 | 84,798 | 1,739 |
| 2010 | 31,093 | 3,459,211 | 80,308 | 1,449 |
| 2011 | 30,592 | 3,680,436 | 77,057 | 1,544 |
| 2012 | 31,498 | 4,122,009 | 91,015 | 1,121 |
| 2013 | 29,942 | 4,529,682 | 89,376 | 1,348 |
| 2014 | 29,896 | 4,606,767 | 83,715 | 250 |
| 2015 | 34,619 | 4,876,129 | 88,750 | 239 |
| 2016 | 38,924 | 4,989,462 | 98,254 | 302 |
| 2017 | 39,228 | 5,031,857 | 105,019 | 261 |
| 2018 | 32,304 | 4,490,182 | 87,969 | 190 |
| Rank | City | Country | Number of flights | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi |  Pakistan | 69 | airblue,AirSial,Fly Jinnah,Pakistan International Airlines,SereneAir |
| 2 | Jeddah |  Saudi Arabia | 50 | airblue,AirSial,Fly Jinnah,Flynas,Pakistan International Airlines,Saudia,SereneAir |
| 3 | Dubai |  United Arab Emirates | 42 | airblue,Emirates,Flydubai,Pakistan International Airlines,SereneAir |
| 4 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 19 | airblue,Fly Jinnah,flynas,Pakistan International Airlines,Saudia |
| 5 | Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | 18 | airblue,Fly Jinnah |
| 6 | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | 17 | airblue,Etihad Airways,Pakistan International Airlines |
| 7 | Doha |  Qatar | 14 | Qatar Airways,Pakistan International Airlines |
| 8 | Istanbul |  Turkey | 14 | Turkish Airlines,Pakistan International Airlines |
| 9 | Dammam | Saudi Arabia | 12 | AirSial,Fly Jinnah,flynas,Pakistan International Airlines |
| 10 | Kuala Lumpur |  Malaysia | 7 | Batik Air |
On 17 January 2025, an international Airbus A320 operated by Pakistan International Airlines landed on the secondary runway 36L, despite being cleared to land on the primary runway 36R. The lights on runway 36L were even turned off. The cockpit crew was immediately grounded by the airline. The flight, originally scheduled from Dammam to Multan, had been diverted to Lahore due to low visibility in Multan.[42]
On 13 March 2025, an Airbus A320 operated by Pakistan International Airlines landed at Lahore International Airport with a missing wheel raising serious issues about pre flight checks.[43]
Media related toAllama Iqbal International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
