ISLAMABAD: Benazir BhuttoInternationalAirport (BBIA) is no longer ranked among the top 10 worst airports in the world.

The Guide to Sleeping at Airports, an annual ranking of the world`s best and worst airports, had consistently included BBIA in its list of top 10 worst airports in the world since 2012.

BBIA was ranked thirdworst in 2012, fourth-worst in 2013 and made it to the top of the list in 2014, before dropping to ninth-worst in 2015. However, in the 2016 listing, Islamabad is no longer ranked among the top ten.

This may be attributed to the recent facelift the airport has received over the past year, with everything from parking facilities to the fast-track service being overhauled.

According to a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a complaints mechanism is now in place that passengers can use to lodge their grievances.

The spokesperson also said that a one-window operation has been initiated in the international departures lounge to facilitate overseas Pakistanis travelling abroad.

Travellers have also been kinder in their appraisal of the airport`s facilities.

Imtiaz Mohammad, a Karachi-based professional who travels through the airport frequently, praised the recent facelift, saying it had improved the transit experience tremendously.

Another traveller, Faisal, said the waiting and boarding areas had improved greatly.

But The Guide to Sleeping at Airports describes BBIA as `simply too small to function properly.

`Once you`ve pushed your way into one of a few long queues, you`ll find yourself in tiny waiting areas with far too many passengers.

`A new airport has been in the works for years. The open date has been pushed to August 2017, which can`t come soon enough for some travellers,` reads the citation for BBIA in this year`s guide. A Reporter