Gilgit Airport
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| Gilgit Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: GIL - ICAO: OPGT | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority | ||
| Serves | Gilgit (Pakistan) | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 4,796 ft (1,462 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 07/25 | 5,400 | 1,646 | Asphalt |
| 09/27 | 983 | 300 | Concrete |
Gilgit Airport (IATA: GIL, ICAO: OPGT) is a small domestic airport, located at Gilgit, Northern Areas, Pakistan. The city of Gilgit is one of the two major hubs for all mountaineering expeditions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Many tourists choose to travel to Gilgit by air since the road travel between Islamabad and Gilgit by Karakoram Highway takes nearly 24 hours, whereas the air travel takes a mere 45-50 minutes.
Contents |
[edit] Flight between Islamabad and Gilgit
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flies 12 weekly flights between Gilgit and Islamabad [1] and the flight is one of the most scenic flights of the world as its route passes over Nanga Parbat and the mountain's peak is higher than the aircraft's cruising altitude. These flights, however, are subject to the clearance of weather and in winters, flights are often delayed by several days.
[edit] Aircraft at Gilgit Airport
Because of the short runway at Gilgit airport that is located at the edge of a slope, even an aircraft as small as a Boeing 737 aircraft cannot land and take-off at the Gilgit Airport. Currently PIA operates Fokker F27 aircraft on the Gilgit-Islamabad route but the airline is replacing its ageing Fokker F27 fleet by the French and Italian ATR 42.
Other aircraft that operate at the airport include the military C-130 aircraft.
[edit] See also
- List of airports in Pakistan
- Airlines of Pakistan
- Transport in Pakistan
- Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
[edit] External links
- World Aero Data airport information for OPGT
