Skardu International Airport
![KDU/OPSD is located in Gilgit Baltistan](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Pakistan_Gilgit-Baltistan_location_map.svg/280px-Pakistan_Gilgit-Baltistan_location_map.svg.png)
![KDU/OPSD](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Airplane_silhouette.svg/10px-Airplane_silhouette.svg.png)
![KDU/OPSD is located in Pakistan](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Pakistan_location_map.svg/280px-Pakistan_location_map.svg.png)
![KDU/OPSD](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Airplane_silhouette.svg/10px-Airplane_silhouette.svg.png)
![KDU/OPSD is located in Asia](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Asia_laea_location_map.svg/280px-Asia_laea_location_map.svg.png)
![KDU/OPSD](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Airplane_silhouette.svg/10px-Airplane_silhouette.svg.png)
Direction | Length | Surface | |
---|---|---|---|
ft | m | ||
14L/32R | 11,944 | 3,641 | Asphalt |
14R/32L | 11,944 | 3,641 | Asphalt |
Passengers | 127,124 |
---|---|
Passenger change | ![]() |
Aircraft movements | 986 |
Skardu International Airport (IATA: KDU, ICAO: OPSD) is an international airport in Skardu, in the Pakistani territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. It also serves as a forward operating base of the Pakistan Air Force.
History
Skardu Airport was initially built as an airbase in 1949, following Pakistan's independence and served as an airfield for the Pakistan Air Force in the Northern Areas.[1] It was converted into a domestic airport for civilian use, alongside military use. On 2 December 2021, Skardu Airport was designated and re-inaugurated as an international airport after providing upgrades to the airport to become a tourism hub for Gilgit-Baltistan.[2][3]
Runways
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Skardu_International_Airport_runways_and_area_along_with_it.jpg/220px-Skardu_International_Airport_runways_and_area_along_with_it.jpg)
Skardu Airport has two asphalt runways, both 11,944 ft (3,641 m) long, while a third 8,740 ft (2,664 m) long asphalt runway, Runway 15/33, was de-commissioned in December 2021.
Airlines and destinations
Skardu Airport is connected to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, through regular Pakistan International Airlines flights, as well as frequent flights to Lahore,[4] Multan,[5] Faisalabad,[6] Sialkot[7] and Karachi.[8]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Skardu_Airport_2015%2C_Pakistan.jpg/200px-Skardu_Airport_2015%2C_Pakistan.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Skardu_airport.jpg/200px-Skardu_airport.jpg)
Flydubai has submitted a request to start international operations to and from Skardu Airport, which would potentially become the first foreign airline to start international routes from Skardu.[9][10]
On 14 August 2023, the first international flight operated by Pakistan International Airlines from Dubai landed at the airport, marking a major step towards promoting tourism in the region.[11]
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
airblue | Islamabad |
Pakistan International Airlines | Dubai–International,[12] Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Skardu_Airport_sits_in_the_shadow_of_the_mighty_Karakoram_peaks_surrounded_by_sand%2C_rock_and_ice.jpg/220px-Skardu_Airport_sits_in_the_shadow_of_the_mighty_Karakoram_peaks_surrounded_by_sand%2C_rock_and_ice.jpg)
See also
- List of airports in Pakistan
- Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
- Gilgit Airport
- Airlines of Pakistan
- Chilas Airfield
References
- ^ "Gilgit Airport". PCAA | Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Govt announces to construct international airport in Skardu". ARY NEWS. 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ "PM Imran Khan inaugurates Skardu International Airport". The News International. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ^ Correspondent, The Newspaper's (2021-04-08). "First PIA flight from Lahore lands at Skardu Airport". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ News Desk (2021-07-18). "PIA to operate Multan to Skardu flight on 25 July". Pakistan Observer. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ "PIA announces direct flights between Faisalabad, Skardu". Profit by Pakistan Today. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ "PIA to start direct flights from Sialkot and an international flight from Dubai to Skardu from July 3". Daily Times. 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
- ^ Correspondent, The Newspaper's (2021-05-26). "PIA launches Karachi-Skardu flights". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Flydubai wants to operate flights to Skardu | SAMAA".
- ^ "Fly Dubai to start international flight to Skardu".
- ^ "First international flight from Dubai lands at Skardu airport". Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL ADDS SKARDU – DUBAI FLIGHT IN MID-AUGUST 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Skardu Airport
- v
- t
- e
- Chilas Airfield
- Gilgit Airport
- Skardu International Airport
- Allama Iqbal International Airport
- Bahawalpur Airport
- Chashma Airport
- Dera Ghazi Khan Airport
- Faisalabad International Airport
- Gurha Salim Airport
- Mangla Airport
- Multan International Airport
- Shaikh Zayed International Airport
- Sialkot Cantonment Airport
- Sialkot International Airport
- Tarbela Dam Airport