Skardu International Airport

Skardu International Airport 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. 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.

Runways
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, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Karachi.

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.

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.