CHITRAL: Chitral airport is not being used since quite some time except the rare helicopter flights which bring in VIPs for a couple of hours. Helicopters do not require such a large airfield ( 5741 ft x  98 ft),  and can do with a small helipad in one corner. The airport is lying idle most of the time and a substantial number of security personal are deployed there, for that rare helicopter flight.

It would be sensible to use the inactive airfield or at least the tarmac and it’s peripheral area which is quite a large space for a land starved place like Chitral for activities to benefit the youth. Activities like athletics, marathon races, Judo karate training and other sports which do not incur damage to the runway surface can be carried out at the airfield instead of leaving it idle. Such activities which are usually held in the evenings can still be halted on that rare occasion when the airfield is being used, for which there is ample early information and warning to the Air traffic control.

This is the age of multi tasking and smart management. Security of course is of prime importance, but the above utilization of the airport if managed well can benefit the health and well-being of thousands of youth, without posing any security risk.

Our country is prominent for misusing/underutilizing it’s resources and a lot of our national wealth goes wasted just for the heck of it. .. CN report, 24 Nov 23