Pakistan processed more than 22.65 million international passenger movements in 2025, highlighting the growing volume of cross-border travel through its airports. Official figures show 22,650,199 total movements, including 11,097,240 arrivals and 11,552,959 departures.
On a recent day covered in the data, entry and exit points handled 51,517 passenger movements across 295 flights. The six main airports managed 49,181 of those movements on 285 flights, while other international points accounted for the rest.
Against this backdrop of rising traffic, the Federal Investigation Agency is accelerating its plan to modernize immigration services. Under the leadership of Director General Dr Usman Anwar, the agency is introducing greater automation and digital verification at counters.
FIA Additional Director General Immigration Nouman Siddiqui explained that the goal is to make processing faster and more convenient for genuine travellers while strengthening checks against illegal travel and forged documents. A central part of this effort is the introduction of automated e-gates, starting with a pilot project. Eligible passengers, such as work-permit holders and others whose details can be verified digitally, will soon complete immigration formalities through these automated systems.
Siddiqui noted that the new automated processing is expected to make clearance 70 to 80 percent faster for eligible travellers. The FIA is also refining systems for handling passenger complaints and identifying operational delays.
At the same time, the agency is expanding technology to detect fake passports, fraudulent visas, and other suspicious documents. Digital verification will allow genuine passengers to move through more quickly while flagging forged papers at an early stage. Efforts against human smuggling and illegal migration continue alongside these upgrades.
The broader modernisation programme includes e-gates, digital document checks, clearer procedures, better complaint mechanisms, and stronger coordination with other agencies. These steps aim to balance smooth travel experiences with effective border security as passenger numbers continue to climb.
The scale of traffic recorded in 2025 underlines why such reforms matter. With millions of people moving through Pakistan’s airports each year, faster and smarter immigration systems will help manage the flow efficiently while keeping controls robust.
