Bacha Khan International Airport - PEW

Bacha Khan International Airport, formerly known as Peshawar International Airport, is an international airport that serves the city of Peshawar and the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. It is located ten minutes from the city center of Peshawar, Pakistan. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority operates the public airport. Ranked as the fourth busiest airport in Pakistan, it served 1.5 million people on 2017 and handled over 7,600 metric tonnes of cargo. An unusual feature of the Bacha Khan International Airport is that one end of the runway is traversed by a rarely used railway line. 

Best Time to Visit

In 2012, the airport was renamed in honor of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as Bacha Khan, a nationalist political leader, but the airport is still often referred to by its old name – Peshawar International Airport. The old name is also reflected in the airport code – PEW. The airport’s history can be traced back to 1927 when a small airfield was created where the Bacha Khan International Airport now stands. It gained it international airport status in the 1960s when flights operated from Kabul, Afghanistan to Peshawar. Over 75% of the flights in Bacha Khan International Airport have international destinations. Airlines that operate in Bacha Khan International Airport include Air Arabia, Emirates, Gulf Air, and Qatar Airways. It is also served Pakistan’s national flag carrier – Pakistan International Airlines.

What to Do & Area Attractions

Hotels located near the airport include the Pearl- Continental Hotel. Easily accessible from the airport and is 3 miles away. Another airport hotel located nearby is the Shelton Accommodator. This is found 1.1 miles from the Bacha Khan International Airport.

Alternate airports to Bacha Khan International Airport include the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, found in Islamabad, Pakistan.