Islamabad (ISB): the Orange Line comes to the terminal
This is the one Pakistani airport with proper public transport to the door. The Orange Line metro bus runs to the terminal, interchanges with the Red Line, and costs a fraction of a taxi.
- The airport is at Fateh Jang, about 30 km from central Islamabad, on a drive of 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic.
- The Orange Line metro bus runs to the terminal itself, 25.6 km from Faiz Ahmed Faiz with seven stops.
- End to end takes about 45 minutes, with buses every 5 to 10 minutes from 6:15am to 10pm on weekdays and from 7am at weekends.
- The fare is trivially cheap and the sources disagree on the exact figure, quoting anywhere from 40 to 100 rupees. Either way it is a rounding error against a taxi.
- Change to the Red Line at Faiz Ahmed Faiz for Rawalpindi and the rest of the Islamabad corridor.
- A prepaid taxi counter sits in arrivals: about 3,000 to 5,000 rupees to Islamabad and 2,500 to 4,000 to Rawalpindi.
- Uber and Careem are gone from Pakistan. Use Yango or InDrive; app fares to the city run about 2,500 to 4,000 rupees.
- One terminal handles international and domestic.
- Allow 3 hours for an international departure and 2 for a domestic one.
The Orange Line, which is the reason this page exists
- Islamabad is the only Pakistani airport in this corpus with a rapid transit line to the terminal. The Orange Line metro bus runs on dedicated lanes from Faiz Ahmed Faiz to the Islamabad International Airport terminal.
- 25.6 km, seven stops, about 45 minutes end to end. The intermediate stations are NHA, G-10, Police Foundation, NUST and Golra Morr.
- Every 5 to 10 minutes, from 6:15am to 10pm on weekdays, starting at 7am at weekends.
- Air conditioned, with free wifi and e-ticketing. A rechargeable T-Cash smart card works across the Rawalpindi and Islamabad network.
- The fare is somewhere between 40 and 100 rupees. Published figures differ, which is common with fare changes on this network; the point is that it is under a dollar against several thousand rupees for a car.
- Interchange with the Red Line at Faiz Ahmed Faiz, which is what gets you to Rawalpindi and along the main Islamabad corridor.
The caveat
- This is a bus, not an airport express. With two large suitcases and a late arrival it is not the right answer, and after 10pm it is not an answer at all.
- The last service leaves at 10pm. A night arrival means a taxi.
Cars
- A prepaid taxi counter is in arrivals. Roughly 3,000 to 5,000 rupees to Islamabad, 2,500 to 4,000 to Rawalpindi.
- Uber and Careem no longer operate anywhere in Pakistan. Uber withdrew in 2022, Careem ended ride-hailing on 18 July 2025. Use Yango or InDrive, at roughly 2,500 to 4,000 rupees into the city.
- Book on the terminal wifi before you walk out, and register on the app before you leave home.
- Avis and local firms rent cars at the airport.
The distance is the thing
- 30 km is a long way out, and Fateh Jang is genuinely outside the city rather than on its edge. Budget 45 to 90 minutes in either direction and more in the morning.
- Allow 3 hours before an international flight, 2 before a domestic one, on top of the journey.
One terminal
- International and domestic share a single terminal, which makes connections simple and the departure hall busy at peak.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.