Chilas Airport (CHB)

Chilas Airport, also known as Chilas Airfield, is a small mountain airfield serving Chilas and the wider Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. Established in 1927 during the British Raj, the airfield was later developed by the Frontier Works Organisation to support construction of the Karakoram Highway.

Located about 3 km from Chilas town, the airfield sits at an elevation of roughly 1,265 m beside the Indus River, surrounded by the Karakoram Range. It has a single paved runway of approximately 1,372 m and basic administrative buildings rather than a conventional passenger terminal.

The airfield does not host regular scheduled commercial passenger flights. It is used mainly for military transport, government operations, private charters and logistics supporting the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, and it provides a secondary access point for expeditions toward Nanga Parbat. Flying is generally limited to daylight visual flight rules.

Most travelers reach the area by flying to Gilgit Airport or driving along the Karakoram Highway, then continue by road to Chilas. Ground access from the airfield into town is usually by private 4WD vehicle or pre-arranged transport, so advance planning is recommended.