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'{{Infobox Airport | name = Sialkot International Airport | nativename = | nativename-a = سیالکوٹ بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا | nativename-r = | image = Sialkot_Airport_Logo.jpg | image2 = Airport Skt.jpg | image-width = | caption = | IATA = SKT | ICAO = OPST | type = Public | owner = | operator = [[Sialkot International Airport Limited]] | city-served = [[Sialkot]] | location = [[Sambrial]] | elevation-f = 837 | elevation-m = 255 | coordinates = {{coord|32|32|08|N|74|21|50|E|type:airport }} | website = [http://www.sial.com.pk www.sial.com.pk] | metric-elev = | metric-rwy = | r1-number = 04R/22L | r1-length-f = 11,811 | r1-length-m = 3,600 | r1-surface = [[Asphalt]] | stat-year = 2007 | stat1-header = | stat1-data = | stat2-header = | stat2-data = | footnotes = }} '''Sialkot International Airport''' {{airport codes|SKT|OPST}} (colloquially known as Sialkot Airport) is situated 14&nbsp;km (8.7&nbsp;mi) west of [[Sialkot]] in the [[Sialkot District]] of [[Pakistan]]. Approximately 1,000,000 travellers from Sialkot and adjacent areas are expected to benefit from this [[international airport]] each year. ==History== The export oriented industrial city of Sialkot had long felt the need of an international passenger and cargo airport. The nearest one was in [[Lahore]] which is about 125&nbsp;km away. The federal government promised the industrialists of Sialkot an international airport but due to bureaucratic red-tape, indifference by the [[government]] and more importantly its proximity to Indian occupied [[Kashmir]] and the periodic shelling from across the border, no work could be started. Finally, tired of foot-dragging, Sialkot's industrialists in the late 80's agreed to build the airport themselves and sought the federal government's approval. On February 2, 2001, approval was granted after a decade of negotiations with the federal government and construction of an international airport at Sialkot for passenger and cargo traffic began. A team of directors was approved, under the chairmanship of Mian Muhammad Riaz (CEO of Dr. Frigz International & three times chairman for SIAL) all of whom placed personal wealth into the project as a primary investment. Each director on the board had previous experience of running sizable and successful enterprises, therefore they were all selected due to this knowledge. Also, with [[Rupee|Rs]] 5 million of personal investment in the project by each one of them, the directors had a direct stake in its profitability. As the development of SIAL went on, the number of directors had reached 250 and it was decided to close membership to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors at SIAL inspired confidence that the potential of the airport project will be fully realized. On February 26, 2001, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the [[Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry]] and the [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority]] with the approval of Ministry of Defence for the construction of the international airport in Sialkot. On March 24 2005, [http://www.sial.com.pk Sialkot International Airport Limited] (SIAL) was formed under the auspices of the Chamber. On March 26, 2005, the first plane landed on the newly constructed runway, which has been built to handle a fully loaded [[Boeing 747]] as future plans involved dealing with heavy aircraft for cargo imports and exports. [[PIA]] test flight PK-613 landed at the Sialkot International Airport on October 20, 2007. A memorandum of understanding between PIA and Sialkot International Airport Authority for mutual cooperation and joint promotion of Sialkot International Airport was signed by Anwaar Rasul Khan, Senior Vice President (Sales), PIA, and Mian Naeem Javed, Director, Sialkot International Airport. First and biggest ever international airport constructed in the private sector in Pakistan, at a cost of over Rs 2.6 billion became operational on November 30, 2007. Ex. President of Pakistan [[Pervez Musharraf]] formally inaugurated the Sialkot International Airport December 11, 2007; the country's first built by the private sector. ==Structure== Sialkot is a major export hub of Pakistan. The airport is being upgraded to make it compatible to carry the load of three Boeing 747s. The airport authority is currently working with a private company to develop the [[airport]] to meet international standards. The airport has developed a brand new runway so heavier aircraft can land there. There is a new terminal currently being built to deal with increase in passengers as well as cargo imports and exports. * Services ** Fuel farm ** Aircraft ground maintenance services ** Catering ** Other related services through concessions to private parties. * Runway; ** 3,600 meter long, 45-meter wide with 7.5-meter wide shoulders on either side corresponding to International Civil Aviation Organization Category 4E. * Link Taxiway; ** 263-meter long, 23-meter wide with 10.5-meter shoulders. * Aprons; ** For passenger and cargo, 45,000-Sq meter area. Combination of flexible and rigid pavements. ** Nose-in parking for 4 wide-bodied aircraft at a time or 3 [[Airbus]] plus 3 F-27 aircraft at a time. ==Airlines and destinations== {{Airport-dest-list |[[Pakistan International Airlines]]|Jeddah, Karachi, Kuwait, London-Heathrow, Muscat, Sharjah |[[Shaheen Air International]]|Muscat, Sharjah }} === Cargo === {{Airport-dest-list |[[DHL International Aviation ME]]|Dubai, Kandahar |[[Qatar Airways|Qatar Airways Cargo]] |Doha }} == Transport links == ===Road=== Travellers by car from Sialkot reach the airport by travelling west on the Sialkot-Wazirabad Duel Carriageway, turning off at Sambrial and then via Airport ROad for 5&nbsp;km to the airport. From the [[Gujranwala]], take Sialkot Road, up to [[Daska]] and then Sambrial Road. ===Bus=== The airport can be reached from [[Sialkot]] up to Sambrial by Bus. Then you have to take a Taxi. An American bus company FOTON[http://www.foton-america.com] [http://pakobserver.net/200908/14/news/business03.asp] will provide airconditioned [[CNG]] Bus Service from airport to Sialkot, Wazirabad, Daska and Gujranwala. ===Train=== The nearest [[Train station|railway station]] is the [[Sambrial]] which is {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} from the airport and is serviced by a taxi link. ==Airport Pictures== * [http://www.historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10817&highlight=sialkot SIAL Photos 1] * [http://www.historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10816&highlight=sialkot SIAL Photos 2] * [http://www.historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11081&highlight=sialkot SIAL Photos 3] ==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Airport_Tower_Skt.jpg| Sialkot International Airport Tower Image:SialkotAirport7.jpg| SIAL Control Tower Image:PIA Boeing 737.jpg| PIA [[Boeing 737]] at Sialkot International Airport Image:PIA 737 at SIAL.jpg| PIA [[Boeing 737]] at Sialkot International Airport Image:Jumboo 747 sialkot.jpg| 1st PIA [[Boeing 747]]-300 Jumbo Jet landed at SIA Image:Sialkot airport map.jpg| Sialkot International Airport Plan Image:Sial5.jpg| Sialkot International Airport main entrance Image:SialkotAirport8.jpg| PIA [[Boeing 747]] at SIA Image:PIA B747s stored SIAL.jpg| PIA [[Boeing 747]] at SIA File:Qatar A300 Cargo at Sialkot.jpg| First cargo flight from SIA File:Eithad A300 at SIAL, Pakistan.jpg| Etihad cargo flight from SIA Image:SIAL 2.jpg| Aerial View of SIA Image:PIAAD1.JPG| 1st International Flight Advertisement Image:PIAAD2.JPG| 1st national Flight Advertisement <!-- Deleted image removed: Image:SialkotAbuDhabiFlight.jpg| Abu Dhabi and Muscat Flight Advertisement --> </gallery> ==See also== * [[List of airports in Pakistan]] * [[Airlines of Pakistan]] * [[Pakistan International Airlines]] * [[Transport in Pakistan]] * [[Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority]] * [[Sialkot Cantonment Airport]] * [[Sialkot International Airport Limited]] * [[Sialkot]] ==References== {{reflist}} ===Additional References=== * [http://historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12418&sid=75ff8769866eebd448416f52134cc8cf Qatar Airways Cargo launch Sialkot] ==External links== {{commonscat|Sialkot International Airport}} * {{NWS-current|OPST}} * {{ASN|SKT}} * {{WAD|OPST}} * [http://www.sialkotexport.com/airport.aspx Sialkot International Airport Flights Schedule] * [http://www.sial.com.pk Official Website of Sialkot International Airport Limited] * [http://www.piac.com.pk Official Website of Pakistan Internation Airlines] * [http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/sialkot/ Sialkot International Airport, Sialkot, Pakistan] - Airport-technology.com, Accessed 2008-02-06 * [http://www.oursialkot.com/airport/sial.htm Sialkot International Airport] - OurSialkot.com * [http://www.sial.com.pk/feasiblty.pdf Feasibility of SIAL: Official Costs Reports] - Accessed 2008-01-10 {{Pakistan airports}} [[Category:Airports in Pakistan]] [[Category:Sialkot District]] [[Category:Sialkot]] [[es:Aeropuerto Internacional de Sialkot]] [[pl:Port lotniczy Sijalkot]] [[ur:سیالکوٹ بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا]]'