
Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, is served by the Bacha Khan International Airport. Formerly known as the Peshawar International Airport, it is located in the southwestern end of the city of Peshawar.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Airport Name | Bacha Khan International Airport |
| Former Name | Peshawar International Airport |
| IATA Code | PEW |
| ICAO Code | OPPS |
| Location | Southwestern end of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Distance from Islamabad | 180 km |
| Runway Length | 9,000 feet (2,700 m) |
| Runway Width | 150 feet (46 m) |
| Runway Shoulders | 10 feet (3 m) on each side |
| Runway Crossing | Kyber Train Safari railway line |
| Max Capacity | Boeing 777-300ER |
| Parking Capacity | 4 wide-bodied aircraft or 3 Airbus and 2 narrow-body aircraft |
| Air Bridges | 2 |
| Facilities | Telephone booths, currency exchange, ATMs, Internet stations, information counters, shops, snack shops, rental car services, post office |
| Climatology | Mild Desert Climate (Köppen: BWh), arid with low precipitation, monsoon season in July-August, mild winters, hot and humid summers |
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What You'll Learn

The airport is called Bacha Khan International Airport
The airport in Peshawar is called Bacha Khan International Airport. It is located in the southwestern end of the city of Peshawar, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Peshawar is the capital of this province, and the airport is approximately 112 miles (180 kilometres) from Islamabad, the country's capital. This makes it about a two-hour drive from the capital via the M-1 motorway. Peshawar is a major passenger hub, with 75% of its flights bound for international destinations.
The airport was formerly known as Peshawar International Airport. It was renamed on 27 January 2012 after Abdul Ghaffar Khan, nicknamed Bacha Khan, a prominent Pashtun Nationalist leader of the Khudai Khidmatgar. The airport traces its origins to 1927, when there was a small airfield catering to aircraft of the British Empire and Imperial Airways. The city was nicknamed the "Gateway to the East" because it linked traditional oriental culture to modern occidental traditions.
Bacha Khan International Airport is the fourth-busiest airport in Pakistan. One of its main runways is crossed by a rarely operational railway line, the Khyber Train Safari, which runs to the town of Landi Kotal in the Khyber Pass for tourism purposes. The railway is one of the few such runways in the world. The airport has two air bridges, constructed in 2018, and the runway is 9,000 feet (2,700 metres) long and 150 feet (46 metres) wide.
The airport has undergone expansion and development in recent years, with some facilities to meet the basic needs of travellers, including telephone booths, currency exchange, ATMs, internet stations, information counters, shops, snack shops, rental car services, and a post office.
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It is located in the southwestern end of the city
Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport is located in the southwestern end of the city. Formerly known as Peshawar International Airport, it is situated in the heart of Peshawar, approximately 180 kilometres from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. This makes it a convenient two-hour drive from the capital via the M-1 motorway. Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, providing international connections for the northwest region of the country and neighbouring areas of Afghanistan.
The airport is a significant hub, with 75% of its flights bound for international destinations. It is currently undergoing evaluation for upgrades to meet international standards, with the CAA collaborating with the provincial government to develop the airport's infrastructure. Peshawar Airport has a long history, dating back to 1927 when it was a small airfield serving the British Empire and Imperial Airways aircraft. The city earned the nickname "Gateway to the East" due to its role in linking oriental and occidental cultures.
One of the airport's unique features is its main runway, which is crossed by the rarely operational Khyber Train Safari railway line. This railway line adds to the strategic importance of the airport, connecting it to the town of Landi Kotal in the Khyber Pass for tourism purposes. The airport has undergone significant reconstruction and development over the years, including the addition of two air bridges in 2018.
Bacha Khan International Airport offers essential amenities to travellers, such as telephone booths, currency exchange services, ATMs, internet stations, information counters, gift shops, snack shops, rental car services, and even a post office. It has a 9,000-foot-long runway, capable of accommodating large aircraft like the Boeing 777-300ER. The airport has witnessed several notable incidents, including the 2019 Airblue A320 runway excursion and the 2024 Saudi Airlines Airbus A330 fire during landing.
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It is approximately 180km from Islamabad
The airport in Peshawar is called Bacha Khan International Airport, formerly known as Peshawar International Airport. It is located in the southwestern end of the city of Peshawar, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Peshawar is the capital of this province, and as such, the airport provides international connections for the majority of the northwest region of the country and adjoining areas of Afghanistan.
Bacha Khan International Airport is approximately 180 kilometres (112 miles) from Islamabad, the federal capital of Pakistan. This equates to about a two-hour drive from the capital via the M-1 motorway. The airport is easily accessible, with the Khyber train safari railway line crossing one of its main runways.
Being the fourth busiest airport in Pakistan, Bacha Khan International Airport is a major passenger hub, with 75% of its flights bound for international destinations. The airport has undergone expansion and development in the past, with five billion rupees allocated for upgrades in 2008. It is currently under evaluation to be upgraded further to meet international standards.
The airport has two air bridges, constructed in 2018, and nose-in parking for four wide-bodied aircraft or three Airbus and two narrow-body aircraft simultaneously. The runway is 9,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, with 10-foot-wide shoulders on either side, adhering to International Civil Aviation Organisation Category 4E standards.
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It is crossed by a railway line, the Khyber Train Safari
Peshawar is served by the Bacha Khan International Airport, located in the southwestern end of the city. It is the fourth-busiest airport in Pakistan and a major passenger hub, with 75% of its flights bound for international destinations.
> It is crossed by a railway line, the Khyber Train Safari.
The Khyber Train Safari is a unique train ride through the legendary Khyber Pass. The railway line is one of the few in the world that crosses an airport runway. The Khyber Steam Safari was launched in 1996 in collaboration with the Sarhad Tourism Corporation, offering a journey through the historic Khyber Pass for foreign and local tourists. The train ride is pulled by two vintage steam locomotives, with two or three carriages. The route threads through 34 tunnels, crossing 92 bridges and culverts, with the track climbing 130m in less than a kilometre.
The railway line was built by the British in 1900 at a cost of 2 million rupees. It was extended in 1926 to Landi Khana, close to the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan. Regularly scheduled rail services between Peshawar and Landi Kotal continued until 1982 when they stopped due to a lack of commercial value. In 2006, the track was closed for all rail traffic due to damage caused by monsoon rains. Today, the Khyber Train Safari operates on two routes: Peshawar to Attock, and Peshawar to Takht-i-Bahi.
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It is the fourth-busiest airport in Pakistan
Peshawar's airport, Bacha Khan International Airport, is the fourth-busiest airport in Pakistan. Formerly known as Peshawar International Airport, it is located in the southwestern end of the city of Peshawar, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Peshawar is the capital of this province, and as such, the airport provides international connections for the majority of the northwest region of the country and adjoining areas of Afghanistan.
The airport's history dates back to 1927, when a small airfield served the British Empire and Imperial Airways aircraft travelling east and west. Peshawar's role as a gateway between east and west earned the city the nickname "Gateway to the East". The airport's importance grew after Pakistan's independence from the British Raj, with the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan (CAA) and the Pakistan Air Force utilising the airfield for military and civil operations.
Today, Peshawar remains a significant passenger hub, with 75% of its flights bound for international destinations. The airport has undergone various developments and upgrades over the years, including a recent evaluation for further improvements to meet international standards. It features a 9,000-foot-long runway, capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Boeing 777-300ER.
Bacha Khan International Airport holds a unique distinction, with one of its main runways crossed by a rarely operational railway line known as the Khyber Train Safari. This railway line adds to the airport's strategic significance, connecting it to the town of Landi Kotal in the Khyber Pass for tourism purposes.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport in Peshawar is called Bacha Khan International Airport (IATA: PEW, ICAO: OPPS) and it is located in the southwestern end of the city of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
The airport is one of the busiest in Pakistan and has a runway that is crossed by a rarely-operational railway line. The airport was renamed in 2012 after Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a Pashtun Nationalist figure.
The airport has telephone booths, currency exchange, ATMs, internet stations, information counters, gift shops, snack shops, rental car services, and a post office.















