Departure
94%
vs 95% ▼ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Gilgit Airport (OPGT/GIL) is a small domestic airfield serving the city of Gilgit in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan territory, hemmed in by the mountains of the Gilgit valley. It is a classic high-altitude, valley-approach field that demands good weather and visibility, making it a challenging and rewarding destination for a simulator pilot flying turboprop equipment on the Islamabad route.
Gilgit Airport is a small public domestic airport serving Gilgit, the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. It is one of the two principal air hubs for mountaineering expeditions into the northern areas of Pakistan, and its single short runway set deep in a mountain valley makes it a notable destination for pilots interested in demanding high-altitude flying. Scheduled service is flown by Pakistan International Airlines using ATR 42 turboprops, with military Lockheed C-130 Hercules also known to use the field.
The airfield lies about 1.25 nautical miles (2.3 km) east of the city of Gilgit, in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of northern Pakistan, within the Gilgit river valley and roughly 200 metres from the Gilgit river itself. The surrounding terrain is mountainous, and the valley's alignment does not match the runway orientation, which complicates approaches and departures from both directions.
Gilgit has a single physical runway, 07/25, 5,406 feet long with a hard (asphalt) surface and runway lighting. There is no ILS. Because of the confined valley location and the runway's misalignment with the valley's long axis, only smaller turboprop aircraft such as the ATR 42 and C-130 can safely operate here; larger jet aircraft cannot use the field.
Gilgit's radio frequencies are RDO 292.3 MHz and TWR 119.1 MHz. The airport has no ILS or other published instrument approach aids noted in available references.
No published circuit heights, joining procedures or noise-abatement restrictions are available for Gilgit. Operations are heavily weather-dependent: good visibility is essential for the Gilgit-Islamabad route, and flights are curtailed in poor conditions given the surrounding high terrain and the runway's awkward alignment relative to the valley.
The Gilgit river runs close to the airfield, about 200 metres from the runway, and serves as a useful visual reference when approaching from the valley. The city of Gilgit itself, immediately to the west, and the steep valley walls flanking the runway are the dominant visual features pilots will use to identify and align with the field.
Construction of Gilgit Airport began in 1947 and was completed in 1948, with the local communities of Gilgit and the former states of Nagar and Hunza volunteering in its construction; the runway was later paved in 1958. The airport's terminal facilities were upgraded, including a new terminal building and relocated car parking, inaugurated on 30 July 2012 and opened by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on 6 December 2013. The field has a notable place in aviation history: on 25 August 1989, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, a Fokker F27 carrying 54 people, disappeared shortly after departing Gilgit.
Gilgit Airport continues to operate as a domestic airport, primarily handling Pakistan International Airlines services to and from Islamabad using ATR 42 aircraft, with occasional connections extended to Karachi and Lahore via an Islamabad stopover. Military C-130 Hercules aircraft also make use of the field. Flight operations remain dependent on favourable weather and visibility owing to the surrounding mountainous terrain.