Due to the frequent closure of roads leading to Parachinar in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the government is considering reopening Benzir Parachinar Airport.
A team from the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and PIA visited the airport to assess the feasibility of resuming passenger and commercial flights.
According to a PAA spokesperson, the visit was conducted on the instructions of the Ministry of Defence. The team included six PAA officials and two PIA representatives.
​Parachinar Airport was formally renamed Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Airport on November 12, 2009, in recognition of the services of the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to the Kurram Agency. ​
​Parachinar Airport has been non-operational since the early 2000s. The closure was primarily due to security concerns in the region, including threats to aircraft safety. For instance, at one point, authorities were informed about a plot to shoot down an aircraft, highlighting the severe risks associated with operating flights to and from the area. These security challenges, coupled with incidents like crash landings, led to the suspension of flights and the eventual closure of the airport.
Read more: Bhutto’s daughter in tears as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto awarded Nishan-e-Pakistan
