Ләһор Әл-Иқбал Халықаралық Әуежайының кеңейтілуі мен дамуы

Civil airport in Pakistan

Allama Iqbal International Airport (Punjabi, , ) is the third largest civilian airport by traffic in Pakistan, after Jinnah International Airport, Karachi and Islamabad International Airport. It serves Lahore, capital of Punjab and second largest city of Pakistan. It also serves a large portion of the travellers from the other regions of Punjab province. Originally known as Lahore International Airport, it was renamed after the visionary poet and philosopher Dr. Allama Iqbal, one of the pioneers that led to the creation of Pakistan. The airport has three terminals: the Allama Iqbal terminal, the Hajj terminal and a cargo terminal. The airport is about 15 km from the centre of the city. The airport had a specifically built runway and apron to handle aircraft up to the Boeing 747. This opened Lahore's gates to the world. PIA initiated direct flights to Dubai and London via Karachi. In 2008, the national flag carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, opened a dedicated aircraft 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. In October 2020, British Airways has resumed its direct flight operations to and from Lahore after 44 years.

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has planned the expansion of the terminal building and the number of gates will be increased from 7 to 22, with a corresponding increase in remote bays. This will increase the annual passenger capacity of Lahore Airport from 6 million to 20 million which will be sufficient to cater to the passenger load 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 4 arms similar to 4 platters of Jasmine flower. The original building has Mughal architectural features but the new airport will have a blend of Spanish and Mughal Architecture. Gates in the main terminal building will be increased from seven to twenty two. The present terminal building will not be demolished but will be expanded. The current parking area will be converted to arrival and departure lounges. The first phase that included the construction of the triple storey parking, in place of the front square lawn, has been complete and is now fully operational. The second phase which includes the upgradation of the main runway is underway. The design of the airport was developed by GilBartolomé Architects from Spain, following a contract awarded to international Spanish Firm, TYSPA International, 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. 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.

LHE is fitted with all the essentials for domestic and international flights. The information below is correct as of September 2020.

7 air bridges with PSS & APSS facilities. 23 remote parking stands.

Pakistan International Airlines. Shaheen Airport Services (SAPS). Royal Airport Services (RAS). Gerry's DNATA Ground Handling & Cargo.

Allama Iqbal International Airport was ranked the world's leading airport by Singapore Airlines in service performance in 2006.