Travelling by Air, Pakistan

There are more than 25 airlines which fly to Pakistan from over 40 countries.

Pakistan has got 6 International Airport, which include Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Gwadar.

If your first destination in Pakistan is the port city of Karachi then you should not have any problem finding a good flight connection. Most of the flights arrive at Karachi's Quaide Azam International Airport.

These Airlines include Turkish Airline, Malaysian Airline, Singapore Airline, Cathay Pacific, PIA, Saudi Arabian Airline, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air, Egypt Air, Iran Air, Oman Air, Sri Lankan Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Biman Air, Syrian Airline, Ethiopian Airline, China Air, Swiss International Airlines and Thai Airways.

PIA, British Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Emirates, Kuwait airways, Qatar Airways and China Xinjiang Airlines fly direct to the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

Lahore's new Allama Iqbal International Airport has started operating in start of 2003. Except Pakistani Airline companies such as PIA, Aero Asia and Shaeen International Airline, Saudi Arabian Airline, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air and Thai Airways fly direct to Lahore.

Pakistan International Airlines has direct flights from the main Mediterranean and European cities as well as New York, Toronto and Istanbul.

PIA also runs a far East network from Tokyo, Beijing, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. PIA have flights to Mashad in Iran from Quetta and a connecting flight to Lahore as an extension of this route. Other Pakistani Airline such as Aero Asia and Shaheen, has a weekly flight between Karachi, Lahore to Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Mascut.

The views of the valley and the mountains of the hindu kush are just beyond words, and the best way I think is to fly the Fokker plane to the north to see it. Wait through for the hassle of not having flights. It's worth it!

Sometimes the return flight gets cancelled because the weather doesnt permit landing. But what's another day is a beautiful place like Chitral.

Warning: dress conservatively though. I noticed the men-women divide there rather strongly. But they dont discriminate, it's just something we should be considerate of.

I caught a PIA Northern Areas flight from Islamabad to Skardu in the Northern Areas. Although it was booked through my trekking company, I got quite an idea as to what the performance with booking Northern Areas flights is.

There is a separate booking office for Islamabad to Skardu/Gilgit flights since these are so weather dependent and are usually heavily booked. If you are heading into this area make sure that you allow plently of time to get out with your flight - you should at least have about 48 hours to spare, allowing a bus trip back to Islamabad in the case of cancelled flights. (I spent a nerve racking night in a tent on the trek considering the fact that if I missed the domestic flight home then 1 day for connections would stuff up all my return flights to Australia.)

I would however HIGHLY recommend a flight from Islamabad to Skardu ( you will need this if you are trekking but it would be a worthwhile trip for general travel too) There is stunning mountain scenery and you'll get a view of Nanga Parbat (world's 8th highest mountain), Rakaposhi, K2 (on a clear day) and Broad Peak. Check out my Skardu page for more details.

The best way to go around Pakistan is by plane because the road conditions are not as good as it should be but if you are travelling from islamabad to Lahore, try the new Motorway which will take about three and a half hours to reach lahore. For only $4US one way you can enjoy the beautiful plateaus of Pakistan. You can also take a plane to Gilgit but you will be much better taking the jeep which will cost about $50-60 but the views are breathtaking. Travelling by train is another options but make sure you guard your valuables properly.

By Air:
Flying time to Karachi from: New York 17+ hours; Tokyo 10+ hours; Hong Kong 5+ hours; London 8 hours; Jeddah 4 hours; Abu Dhabi 2 hours. There are many flights into Karachi on a variety of international airlines. Pakistan International Airlines fly to Pakistan from a number of major capitals and operate a domestic network. Only PIA and British Airways have direct flights from London to Islamabad, though the journey involves changing planes.
By Sea:
There are some sailings around the Gulf area to Karachi. More information on this adventurous route to Pakistan will be available on this page as it becomes available.

By Rail:
Rail routes exist through India and Iran. More information on this way of entry will be available later on. Please check back for more up-to-date info.

By Road:
The most popular route to enter Pakistan via road is Karakoram Highway. This is open between May and November from 11 AM to 4 PM.....Domestic Travel.By Air:
Flying within Pakistan is a quick way of getting around the country, and often very cheap. Shorter journeys are subsidized by the government, so a flight to Gilgit or Skardu is not that much more expansive than taking the bus. Pakistan International Airways has many routes within Pakistan. More information is to follow.
By Water:
More info to come.

By Rail:
The railways are a convenient mode of transportation within Pakistan, because they serve all major towns and sites of interest. Many of the railways are feats of engineering, rising through hilly, difficult terrain and crossing mighty rivers and long bridges.
Steam engines are very common. There are various classes of berth available: Air Conditioned, First and Second. The trains can get very crowded, so it is best to make reservations several days in advance. Passengers on First class provide their own bedding. A sleeper has to be booked separately from the First Class ticket. Don't forget to indulge in the 'afternoon tea' service, which is excellent. Pakistan Railways offers concessionary fares to various types of travelers, including students, groups on study tours, tourists, sports groups, youth organizations, etc.
By Road:
Rikshaw - two passanger vehicle
The provincial governments have Road Transport Corporations, which run the regular services between the major cities. The buses start from G.T.S Depots. Some services are more frequent than others, depending on the volume of traffic along the route. Generally, these buses are fast, regular and reliable.
Apart from official service, there are number of private services, some of which are grim and other like the 'flying coaches' are excellent. These are small Air Conditioned coaches. The flying coaches do move speedily.
There are now thousands of Ford Transit vans operating in the cities and plying in between. These can seat up to fourteen people and serve as a poor man's flying coach.



Airlines...
Aero Asia International...
Bhoja Airlines....
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)..
Panjnad Aviation.....
Schoen Air....
Shaheen International....

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For domestic travel, you have an option to travel by 4 airlines: PIA, Air Blue, Aero Asia, and Shaheen. All (except Shaheen) operates regular flights to major cities in Pakistan, and have travel agents/offices all over Karachi where you can book flights. Now PIA and Air Blue also offer e-ticketing via internet.

In PIA you can get a chance ticket for 50% where you can just purchase a ticket and go to the airport to see if you get a seat, senior citizen discount of 25%. In addition there is also a 20% discount on normal fare, but you will not recieve any inflight service ie meals.

Air Blue offers discounts (can go up to 75% on fare, excluding taxes) if you purchase tickets in advance, and if there are seats available on the next flight. check their website for details on this.

Aero Asia and Shaheen are budget airlines (cheaper then PIA and Air Blue), and on most occassions their flights are usually delayed or cancelled.

Many of Pakistan's airports are international airports including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad and Sialkot.
This is the best part. Getting around is easy and cheap. But it may prove to be hectic on the other hand. You have the options of buses, wagons, taxis, and lil' three wheelers called rickshaws.
For travelling inter-city there are airplanes,trains and buses readily available.

to goto pakistan i took PIA u can take any flight by going to dubai and from dubai to pakistan and your destination. for inter country flight u can also go from airplanes
geeps in hilly areas and train in other. you have to goto pakistan to see its trucks they rulezz man! they are decorated very finely