Last flight departs from Benazir Bhutto terminal as new Islamabad Airport becomes operative

As the new Islamabad International Airport becomes functional, Benazir Bhutto International Airport saw last flight taking off today.

Pakistan International Airline’s flight no PK791 departed from the old airport at 11:39 am today for Birmingham, making it the last plane to be running at the runway.

With a sleek glass-front entrance, spacious check-in areas and jetway bridges for boarding, the Y-shaped airport promises an end to the congestion that has frustrated air travel in the past.

The new Islamabad airport, which has the capacity to handle 15 million passengers annually and space for further expansion, was first suggested in the 1980s and has been more than a decade in the making.

The delays have become a running joke with many Pakistanis, who mock the frequent announcements that the new airport would open soon and subsequent clarifications of further delays.