Indian missile strikes during the recent Operation Sindoor appears to have caused huge damage to Pakistan's Rahim Yar Khan. The airbase, strategically located in Punjab near the Rajasthan border, and shares its single runway with the Sheikh Zayed International Airport, has been non-operational ever since the attack.
In the past few weeks, Pakistan has repeatedly extended NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) for flight restrictions. Reports suggest that the continued closure of the airport could be having a substantial impact on both military readiness and civilian air travel in the region.
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) expert Damien Symon, in an X post, said there is another NOTAM in place till August 5.
"Pakistan once again issues a NOTAM for Rahim Yar Khan, the runway struck by India in May 2025 now remains offline estimated till 05 August 2025," he wrote.
When a user asked if Pakistan is going to open the airbase before Christmas, he responded saying, "...there was some effort, cleaning etc around the crater but repair work appears delayed - either its not being prioritized, abandoned or they might have a larger overhaul in mind."
Rahim Yar Khan was among the several Pakistani military installations hit by India during Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during one of his public addresses, had said nobody knows when the airbase will resume operations. "No one knows when Pakistan's Rahim Yar Khan air base will open again. It is in ICU. The attack has destroyed it," the prime minister was quoted as saying.
