Kalat Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic and operational factors. Key reasons include:
1. **Economic Non-Viability:** The airport served a very small population and generated extremely low passenger traffic. The routes were operated as 'social routes' and were heavily subsidized, making them financially unsustainable.
2. **Fleet Modernization:** Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the sole operator, retired its Fokker F27 Friendship aircraft. These turboprops were ideal for short, often unpaved, runways like Kalat's. Newer aircraft in PIA's fleet required longer, paved runways and more sophisticated ground infrastructure, which Kalat lacked.
3. **Improved Road Infrastructure:** Over time, improvements to the road network, particularly the RCD Highway (N-25), provided a more reliable, albeit slower, alternative for travel to Quetta and other centers, further reducing the demand for air travel.

The airport is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (29.133333, 66.51667) shows a clearly defined but unmaintained and deteriorated dirt/gravel airstrip. There are no visible signs of any airport buildings, hangars, or terminal facilities remaining. The site is not used for any official purpose and the runway is unusable for any type of aircraft without extensive reconstruction. The land remains undeveloped.

Kalat Airport's significance was primarily administrative and logistical. As Kalat was the historic capital of the Khanate of Kalat and an important administrative center in Balochistan, the airport provided a vital link to the provincial capital, Quetta, and the national hub, Karachi. When active, it handled scheduled passenger services operated by PIA, which were essential for transporting government officials, mail, urgent supplies, and a limited number of civilians. The operations were exclusively domestic and handled by STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capable aircraft suited for its basic, unpaved runway. The airport was a symbol of the state's effort to connect remote and strategically important regions of the country.

There are currently no known or publicly announced plans by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) or the Government of Pakistan to reopen or redevelop Kalat Airport. The prospects for reopening are considered extremely low due to several factors:
- **Lack of Commercial Demand:** The local economy and population size do not support viable scheduled air services.
- **High Rebuilding Costs:** The entire infrastructure, including the runway, taxiways, and a terminal building, would need to be built from scratch.
- **Proximity to Quetta:** Quetta International Airport (OPQT), approximately 160 km away, serves as the primary air hub for the region.
- **Security Situation:** The long-standing security challenges in the Balochistan province make investment in such non-critical infrastructure a low priority.