New Islamabad International Airport is under construction in Fateh Jang, Attock District. It is planned to serve the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area. The airport is slated to open for commercial flights on August 14, 2017.
The airport project was conceived initially in 1984 for which the acquisition of land in Attock started the same year. Build around 20 km west of the twin cities, it is being built to replace the existing Benazir Bhutto International Airport. After repeated delays, the new airport is expected to be become operational by August 14, 2017. The airport is connected to Islamabad via the Kashmir Highway and Rawalpindi via the GT Road. A four-lane highway is also under construction to serve cargo traffic. The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus is also being expanded to connect the airport.
Once completed, it will be the first greenfield airport in Pakistan and also capable of handling the Airbus A380 . Built on an area of 3,571.5 acres (14.45 sq km / 5.58 sq mi), the airport has two runways. It will be capable of serving 15 million passengers every year in its first phase. Further planned expansions will allow it to serve up to 25 million passengers every year. The terminal includes 15 gates with ten remote gates, a four-star hotel, duty-free shops, food court and 42 immigration counters. Additionally, Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan is acquiring 2,833 acres (11.46 sq km / 4.42 sq mi) of land to build a third runway at the airport.
