After Indian strike, Pakistan temporarily shuts down runway at Rahim Yar Khan airbase

In the wake of India’s military operation targeting key installations in Pakistan, the sole runway at Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Punjab province has been declared non-operational for a week.

This was formally announced through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on May 10 evening, reviewed by The Indian Express.

The NOTAM came into effect at 4:00 pm Pakistan Standard Time (4:30 pm IST) on May 10 and will remain valid until at least 4:59 am Pakistan time (5:29 am IST) on May 18. The official statement attributes the closure to unspecified “work in progress,” though it notably refrains from providing further details.

The closure notice explicitly states: “RWY NOT AVBL FOR FLT OPERATION WIP.,” confirming that flight operations are halted due to ongoing work. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the acronym ‘WIP’ (Work In Progress) used in NOTAMs refers to active construction or repair work at an airport surface—implying that the runway itself is under maintenance.

This development aligns with earlier reports suggesting that the runway may have been hit directly by an Indian missile during a precision strike, necessitating substantial repair efforts.

Rahim Yar Khan airbase also shares its grounds with the Sheikh Zayed International Airport. It has a single bitumen-surfaced runway—Runway 01/19—measuring approximately 3,000 metres (9,843 feet) in length, as recorded on Flightradar24.

The base was one of six major Pakistani military locations targeted by the Indian Air Force on Saturday using “air-launched precision weapons,” following a series of provocative aerial movements by Pakistan that were intercepted by Indian defense forces. The other sites struck included Rafiki, Murid, Chaklala, Sukkur, and Juniya.

These strikes were part of a broader military response under ‘Operation Sindoor,’ launched by India after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, primarily tourists. India’s action on Wednesday involved targeting nine terror infrastructure facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The strikes prompted a rapid and aggressive military escalation between the two countries—reportedly the most intense in decades. Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks across the Line of Control and international border, which were countered by Indian defenses. In return, India expanded its campaign to include Pakistani military infrastructure, further intensifying tensions until both sides agreed to a ceasefire by Saturday evening.