Islamabad International Airport (ISB)

Common Complaints

• Limited Shops and Food Options: A recurring complaint is the lack of variety and number of commercial shops and food and beverage facilities, especially after security.
• Long Baggage Claim Times: Travelers frequently report unnecessary and excessively long waiting times for luggage collection, indicating slow unloading processes.
• Inconsistent Staff Service and Communication: While some praise the staff, others describe them as uncommunicative, unhelpful, and even rude, particularly at check-in and customer service desks. There are also mentions of corruption by some travelers.
• Crowding and Lack of Crowd Control: The arrival areas, especially for international flights, can become extremely crowded with large families greeting passengers, leading to chaotic scenes and difficulty navigating.
• Maintenance Concerns: Despite being a relatively new airport, some reviews point to signs of poor maintenance or incomplete workmanship, with issues like uneven floors and breaking tiles.
• Substandard Lounge Experience: The CIP Lounge receives particularly negative feedback regarding the quality and quantity of food, cleanliness, and overall value for money.
• Security Inconsistencies: Some historical reviews mention inconsistent security checks and arbitrary rule enforcement by security personnel.
• Transportation and Parking: While a large parking lot is available, some older reviews mention lack of space and overcharging. Metro Bus connectivity was under construction some time ago and would improve access once completed.

Overall, Islamabad International Airport presents a mixed bag for travelers. While it boasts impressive modern infrastructure and improvements in certain areas like general cleanliness and staff attitude compared to its predecessor, it still faces significant challenges in providing a consistently smooth and enjoyable experience, particularly regarding commercial offerings, baggage handling, and managing passenger flow during peak times.