Islamabad Airport

I have used Islamabad airport on numerous occasions and it is never fun. On arrival from abroad I find the immigration staff reasonably efficient. It is downhill from there. The luggage belts do not have the capacity to handle all the luggage from a full international flight. I have seen baggage falling off and the belt jamming. And of course every passenger just has to push anybody in the way. Having retrieved your baggage Pakistani passengers find that the Green channel is purely for "foreigners" i.e. those who appearance does not indicate Pakistani roots. I have never been able to go through without being stopped and asked to take the other route - where everything is scanned just in case you decided to bring a television or airconditioner in your suitcase. No one has ever checked my luggage tags to see if they match the luggage. You exist to be hustled by people eager to help you take your luggage to your car. I don't actualy mind this too much as they are poor. When leaving the city there are the inevitable customs checks whose primary aim appears to be cash generation. The check in queues are staff by the genetically slow (I have taken 2.5 hours to check in). One reason for this is that several international flights are scheduled within a few hours. This saves on the time that ground staff have to be paid but results in utter chaos for passengers. Even worse than the waiting is the tendancy for check in staff to let friends relatives and payers jump the queues. Complaining about this to a more senior person results in a piece of set drama where the counter staff is told off. Nothing actually changes though. Immigration and security are usually quite professional and the lounge is fine. In summary it is not so much the airport facilities that are the problem; it is the unnacountable staff. A new airport may help but will not cure the disease.

I couldn't agree more with Mr Azhar. I spent more than two hours in the queue in the early morning after the flight from Dubai. The airport is messy and too small including the parking lot. One of the worst airport I have ever seen.

The Rawal Lounge is really nice. Its cosy and tastefully decorated. I would definitely recommend it to passengers who have to check in 3 to 4 hours before their flight.

At least once every three months I end up at Islamabad Airport as an international passenger. It is simply a night mare going through this airport. The size is not the problem it’s the people working and hanging around the airport. The new bigger airport will be bigger problem for the passengers. With correct education and management the current airport is sufficient. An immigration officer to stamp an entry stamp on Pakistani passport takes 1 hour to deal with 7 to 10 passengers as he/she is forced to use some sort of database. Their typing speed is about 1 character per 40 sec provided they are undistracted by relatives arriving same day. While departing for each passenger there is change over of 10 counter staff before you are issued with boarding pass. In simple words no point of building a new airport.

The worst airport terminal I've experienced! and this is the nations capital! I was going on to Manchester UK and PIA had quoted me a four hour check-in and others 5 hours. From arriving to entering the departure lounge took 1 1/2 hours. Is it really going to be four or five years before the new terminal is complete?

Present Islamabad Airport although a very old building has reached a point where it cannot be expanded anymore. However new Airport is in works at a new site far away from present location. Present airport just cannot handle more than one international flight easily because every time I have gone to Islamabad as a international arrival the place looked like a fish market. The airport staff was courteous and polite. I just hope that all problems are solved when the new airport is built by 2008-2009.