Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport
Airport in Pakistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sukkur Airport (IATA: SKZ, ICAO: OPSK), also known as Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport Sukkur, is an International airport located about 8 km (5.0 mi) from the centre of Sukkur city, and serves Sukkur and its surrounding areas; Khairpur, Jacobabad, Sibi and Shikarpur.[citation needed]
Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport Sukkur | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Pakistan Airports Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Sukkur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Sibi, Khairpur, Ghotki | ||||||||||
| Location | Sukkur-65200 | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1942 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 196 ft (60 m) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°43′19″N 068°47′30″E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 Interactive map of Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport Sukkur | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2017-18) | |||||||||||
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Sukkur International Airport is the second main operational airport in Sindh, after Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.[1] The paved runway is about 2,700 metres long. It also handles international flights, especially in time of emergencies and flights diversions from other airports due to bad weather conditions.[2]
It is the main alternative to Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, with a distance of about 350 km (220 mi), well under an hour's flight time by turboprop aircraft, and less than 35 minutes by jet.[citation needed]
History
It was built in 1942 and was originally known as Sukkur Aerodrome, and was used as a military airfield by the British Raj. The airport was renamed as Sukkur Airport in 1980. On 26 January 2012, the Provincial Assembly of Sindh unanimously passed a resolution to name the airport after Nusrat Bhutto (مادرجمہوریت، بیگم نصرت بھثو), a former First Lady of Pakistan in the 1970s.[3]
During Hajj season every year, Hajj flights operate from Sukkur to Jeddah and Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and back.[4] The first Hajj flight from the Begum Nusrat Bhutto Airport, Sukkur, left for Jeddah on 6 August 2016. The Hajj flight operation continued until 13 August 2016.[5]
In September 2022, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority assigned the upgrade and expansion project of the Begum Nusrat Bhutto Airport Sukkur to the National Engineering Services Pakistan.[6] According to the plan, the airport is planned to be turned into an international airport for wide-body aircraft with all allied facilities. The renovation project includes extension of the runway and the taxiway, reconstruction of the apron and terminal building, along with other related facilities.[7][8][9][10]
International status
In September 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accelerated the process of granting international status to Begum Nusrat Bhutto Airport (BNBA) in Sukkur.[citation needed]
After getting international status, it will be the second international airport in Sindh.[citation needed]
In 2025, the airport will be upgrade to international status and planning to operate two-weekly flights between Sukkur and Jeddah[11]
