THERE are occasions when a long-standing demand ceases to be a demand and becomes an imperative. The construction of a new, modern airport at Gilgit is now precisely such an imperative.
As reported on social media on 16 July 2026, the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan has, in his letter dated 15 July 2026 addressed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, most justifiably drawn attention to the urgent need for a new airport at Gilgit. The appeal deserves the serious and positive consideration of the federal government—not as another routine administrative request, but as a matter of overriding importance for the future of Gilgit-Baltistan.
It is, indeed, difficult to understand why the issue continues to linger.
Gilgit-Baltistan has changed dramatically. Its aviation infrastructure has not.
The region has emerged as one of Pakistan's most coveted tourist destinations and has earned international recognition, having been included by CNN Travel among the world's 25 destinations worth visiting in 2025. The influx of national and international tourists has increased manifold. Hunza, Naltar, Ghizer, Astore, Diamer and the adjoining valleys now attract visitors from across the country and beyond. Yet the principal gateway to the heart of Gilgit-Baltistan continues to operate with facilities and limitations that belong to an earlier era.
The present Gilgit Airport has served the region with distinction for decades, first accommodating Fokker aircraft and later ATRs. Both, however, remained subject to the perennial caveat of “subject to weather” and have increasingly proved inadequate to meet the region's growing aviation and tourism needs. One must acknowledge its contribution. But respect for the past cannot justify an indefinite refusal to prepare for the future.
I distinctly recall that, approximately five years ago, it was reported that a plan for a new airport at Gilgit was under consideration and that a technical team had visited the area to explore a suitable site. I had also referred to the matter in my article “Upgrading Aviation Facilities,” published on this blog on 31 July 2021. Since then, however, the proposal seems to have vanished into the mysterious corridors of officialdom.
What happened to it?
Was a suitable site not found? Did the proposal encounter financial constraints? Was there a technical objection? Or did it simply become another victim of bureaucratic inertia? The people of Gilgit-Baltistan deserve to know.
The contrast with Skardu is particularly striking. The upgrading of Skardu International Airport and the expansion of aviation facilities there have demonstrated the transformative role that modern air connectivity can play in the tourism economy of Gilgit-Baltistan. If Skardu can be equipped with aviation infrastructure commensurate with its growing importance, why should Gilgit continue to be treated as an exception?
The matter is far more serious than tourism alone.
For a mountainous region, air connectivity is not a luxury—it is a lifeline. Road travel is indispensable, but the region's rugged terrain, landslides, avalanches and harsh weather conditions frequently create uncertainty and delay. A modern airport at Gilgit would facilitate the movement of tourists, residents, patients, students, professionals, investors and government officials alike.
It would also open a new chapter in the economic development of the region.
A properly planned airport would stimulate tourism, expand the hospitality sector, create employment and encourage investment. It would also make Gilgit a more effective regional hub for the movement of people and goods. Above all, it would provide a much-needed sense of connectivity to a region whose geographical isolation has historically imposed enormous costs upon its people.
There is, moreover, a larger national and strategic dimension to the matter. Gilgit-Baltistan is not merely a landscape of spectacular mountains and tourist resorts. It occupies a position of immense national and strategic importance. Modern aviation infrastructure in Gilgit should therefore be viewed as an investment in national connectivity, regional integration and the economic future of Pakistan.
One cannot help but wonder why the proposal that was reportedly under consideration years ago has apparently remained shelved. Projects of such consequence must not be permitted to die quietly in files.
The Chief Minister's recent intervention is, therefore, both timely and welcome. It provides the federal government with an opportunity to revive a proposal whose importance has only increased with the passage of time.
Gilgit does not need another ceremonial announcement. It needs a decision.
The government should immediately revive the earlier proposal, identify and publicly disclose the reasons for its delay, commission a fresh technical and feasibility assessment where necessary, and announce a clear timeline for the construction of a modern airport at Gilgit—one broadly compatible with the aviation facilities now being developed at Skardu.
The future will not wait for bureaucratic files to move from one table to another.
Gilgit-Baltistan is attracting the world. It is now the responsibility of the state to ensure that the region has an airport capable of receiving it.
Comments