RIAF Phaphamau

Post-war military drawdown and strategic redundancy. With the departure of the US Army Air Forces and the reduction of Royal Air Force presence, the need for multiple large airfields in the Allahabad (now Prayagraj) area ceased. Operations were centralized at the larger and better-equipped Bamrauli airfield (now Prayagraj Airport, ICAO: VEAB), which served both military and subsequent civil aviation needs.

The site of the former airfield is now occupied by the Indian Army. The land is part of the New Cantonment, Prayagraj, and houses the Ordnance Depot Phaphamau. While the faint outline of the main runway and some taxiways are still visible from satellite imagery, the area has been completely repurposed with military buildings, storage facilities, training grounds, and residential quarters for military personnel. Some of the peripheral land is used for agriculture.

RIAF Phaphamau was a significant Allied military airfield during World War II, operating as a key logistical hub in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater. It was used extensively by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the British Royal Air Force (RAF). Its primary role was as a major maintenance, repair, and supply depot. It served as a sub-depot for the 4th Air Depot Group, which was headquartered at the main Allahabad airfield in Bamrauli. The Phaphamau facility was crucial for keeping a vast fleet of transport, bomber, and fighter aircraft operational for missions over Burma. The ICAO code 'IN-0374' is an unofficial identifier used in some modern databases for historical or closed airfields and was not its operational code.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RIAF Phaphamau. The site is an active and integral part of a military cantonment. The aviation needs of Prayagraj and the surrounding region are fully served by the operational Prayagraj Airport (IXD) at Bamrauli, which has undergone significant expansion and modernization.