Defence Minister Announces DIK Airport Rehabilitation After Years of Neglect

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Wednesday that the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) has successfully completed rehabilitation of Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) Airport. The airport is now fully functional after years of neglect.

Asif stated in a post on X, “PAA and the Ministry of Defence are continuing their efforts to restore and rehabilitate dysfunctional airports around the country.”

Last year, PAA completed commissioning of a state-of-the-art Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range and Distance Measuring Equipment (DVOR/DME) at DIK Airport as part of rehabilitation process.

Dera Ismail Khan is strategically important due to its proximity to Afghan capital and Central Asian states. The facility had remained inactive due to limited and expensive operations.

In 2024, PAA decided to establish a greenfield airport in DIK. For this purpose, 1,817 acres of private land were acquired in Mouza Yark and Glutty for the construction of airport infrastructure and related facilities.

PAA has also accelerated efforts to develop and modernize aviation infrastructure with major projects underway in Faisalabad, Skardu, and Lahore aimed at boosting tourism, trade, and regional connectivity.