Skardu as MOB?

khanasifm · Dec 2, 2021

Gilgit, chiral, Chilas getting up gradation

Chilas can go upto 6 plus feet vs current 4500 feet runway plus all weather

Gilgit can be extended provided the park is taken over but perhaps a new site is better option

CAA team arrives in Gilgit to start work on Chilas airfield

Airstrip crucial for construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam.

www.dawn.com

wasileo80 · Dec 2, 2021

airomerix said:
The proximity is too close to any potential IAF activity on the other side of the border in a routine basis.

Same case as Lahore and Chaklala. Only in war time, fighters are stationed there as deterrence.

Otherwise it is peanuts for enemy ground based radars to pick up air and ground activity on these bases.

This can also be true for IAF as well. that their bases and air activity can be monitored by PAF radars as well from Skardu or even from Gilgit.

Trailer23 · Dec 9, 2021

- kind of...

flydubai taking an interest to start flights there.

Talon · Jan 9, 2022

Two runways fully operational .. 3rd is WIP?

Talon · Jan 9, 2022

Screen grab from Samchui's recent vlog

Ali_Baba · Jan 9, 2022

Wow - Skardu may end up having more runways than many of the current largest PAF airbases it seems (there is value in redundancy of runways during hot tempo- operations especially with the proliferation of cruise missiles ).

bananarepublic · Jan 9, 2022

Ali_Baba said:
Wow - Skardu may end up having more runways than many of the current largest PAF airbases it seems (there is value in redundancy of runways during hot tempo- operations especially with the proliferation of cruise missiles ).

More like civilian projects are subsidizing it.
Skardu Airport is being upgraded to make it an international Airport. Actually much like the old Rawalpindi airport
Runaways are going to be used by both civilian and PAF.
S-1 road project is also a good example on benefits for both of civil and military needs.
Next they should push for Gilgit-shandur-chitral road for redundancy in civil, military and cpec needs

Talon · Jan 13, 2022

Was Skardu operational throughout the year in the past as well? @Trailer23

P.s This post is directed towards civil operations only

Trailer23 · Jan 13, 2022

@Hodor
Skardu has had a stroke of bad luck in the past as PIA has operated flights on & off over the years with...
F27 & B737-300's in the past.
ATR-42's past few years.
Most recently the a320's.

Reasons could one of many...
Not enough load to operate flights.
Not enough aircrafts in fleet to operate flights. Possibly AOG.
Local Government interference.
Typical bureaucracy & PIA goof-ups.

[not sure if anyone would risk flying a freaking wide-body a/c at that airport]

Another issue with Skardu are VFR Operations which means that it all depends on clear weather - similar to Kathmandu (Nepal).

Note: A very senior Capt. in flydubai told me that Skardu recently got a newly constructed Runway & that in addition to Skardu, another destination is being evaluated by the Pakistan CAA for approval.

TsAr · Jan 13, 2022

khanasifm said:
Gilgit, chiral, Chilas getting up gradation

Chilas can go upto 6 plus feet vs current 4500 feet runway plus all weather

Gilgit can be extended provided the park is taken over but perhaps a new site is better option

CAA team arrives in Gilgit to start work on Chilas airfield

Airstrip crucial for construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam.

www.dawn.com

Gilgit is a small valley with greater population then skardu.

Hodor said:
Two runways fully operational .. 3rd is WIP?

View attachment 807311

work on the 3rd one is going on. Its going to be a IFR runway and the longest of all....

baqai · Jan 13, 2022

Trailer23 said:
@Hodor

Another issue with Skardu are VFR Operations which means that it all depends on clear weather - similar to Kathmandu (Nepal).

have heard that the new runway being made would be IFR

Trailer23 · Jan 13, 2022

baqai said:
have heard that the new runway being made would be IFR

I don't have information regarding that - but if it has, i'm sure its been updated in the JEPPESEN Charts.

Once flydubai is confirmed, i'll be able to get Screenshots of the Runways Charts.

Pakistan Ka Beta · Jul 12, 2022

khanasifm said:
Gilgit, chiral, Chilas getting up gradation

Chilas can go upto 6 plus feet vs current 4500 feet runway plus all weather

Gilgit can be extended provided the park is taken over but perhaps a new site is better option

CAA team arrives in Gilgit to start work on Chilas airfield

Airstrip crucial for construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam.

www.dawn.com

wasileo80 said:
This can also be true for IAF as well. that their bases and air activity can be monitored by PAF radars as well from Skardu or even from Gilgit.

baqai said:
have heard that the new runway being made would be IFR

Trailer23 said:
@Hodor
Skardu has had a stroke of bad luck in the past as PIA has operated flights on & off over the years with...
F27 & B737-300's in the past.
ATR-42's past few years.
Most recently the a320's.

Reasons could one of many...
Not enough load to operate flights.
Not enough aircrafts in fleet to operate flights. Possibly AOG.
Local Government interference.
Typical bureaucracy & PIA goof-ups.

[not sure if anyone would risk flying a freaking wide-body a/c at that airport]

Another issue with Skardu are VFR Operations which means that it all depends on clear weather - similar to Kathmandu (Nepal).

Note: A very senior Capt. in flydubai told me that Skardu recently got a newly constructed Runway & that in addition to Skardu, another destination is being evaluated by the Pakistan CAA for approval.