Parachinar Airport (PAJ)

Parachinar Airport (PAJ) is a domestic aviation facility located in the Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, approximately 25 minutes from the city center. While the airport has been largely defunct since 2002, it is currently the focus of a significant reactivation project led by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). As of March 2025, technical surveys and feasibility studies are underway to restore air connectivity to this strategic region near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The existing passenger terminal infrastructure, though inactive for over two decades, is designed to support regional turboprop operations. The facility includes a dedicated structure for passenger check-in and boarding, which is currently undergoing modernization of its communication and navigational systems. The site also features essential operational support buildings, including fire garages, a generator room for backup power, and dedicated staff accommodation for the PAA personnel overseeing the revitalization effort. Historically, the airport was constructed in the 1980s to provide critical landing facilities during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and later served as a hub for PIA flights to Peshawar and Islamabad. The airfield features a 4,000-foot (1,219m) bitumen runway (16/34) situated at an elevation of 5,800 feet above sea level. Once fully reactivated, the airport is expected to serve as a vital link for both commercial travel and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Kurram agency and surrounding tribal areas.