Dera Ismail Khan airport restored after years of neglect

WEB DESK: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and the Ministry of Defence have achieved a significant infrastructure milestone with the successful rehabilitation and reopening of Dera Ismail Khan Airport.

Following years of operational dormancy, the facility has been made functional once again, marking a pivotal shift in the government’s strategy to restore neglected regional aviation hubs across the country.

A strategic restoration in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The move to operationalise the existing airport comes as part of a high-priority directive to bridge the connectivity gap in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that the facility has undergone essential repairs to its runway and technical infrastructure, specifically tailored to accommodate ATR flight operations.

A critical component of this rehabilitation involved the construction of specialised protective embankments designed to shield the airfield from seasonal flash floods, or ‘Rod Kohi,’ which have historically hindered the region’s development.

This restoration ensures that the local population is once again linked to major national urban centres, including Islamabad and Karachi.

Paving the way for a global logistics hub

Beyond the immediate reopening of the existing site, the federal government has also greenlit a massive secondary project: the construction of an International Cargo Airport at Yarik.

Strategically positioned near the M-14 Motorway and integrated into the broader framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), this 1,817-acre facility is intended to serve as a logistics anchor for the entire region.

By facilitating the rapid export of agricultural and industrial goods, the project is expected to transform Dera Ismail Khan into a vital trade corridor.

This initiative mirrors a nationwide trend led by the PAA, which has recently overseen similar rehabilitation efforts at Parachinar and the launch of new aviation projects in Faisalabad.