Back to All Bases
🏛️

PAF Base Masroor

Major Operational Base

Location Details

Location
Mauripur area, Karachi
Province
Sindh
Air Command
Southern Air Command
ICAO Code
OPMR
Latitude
24.8936°
Longitude
66.9383°

Wing

No. 32 Tactical Attack (TA) Wing

Aircraft

JF-17 ThunderJF-17 Block III
ZDK-03 Karakoram Eagle
Mirage III ROSE I
Mirage IIIEL/DL
AW139
Mi-171Sh

Runways

Direction
04/22
Length
N/A
Surface
Asphalt
Direction
09/27
Length
N/A
Surface
Concrete

History

1942: Established by RIAF during World War II as transit airfield

Allowed RAF Drigh Road to concentrate on maintenance operations

Huge numbers of aircraft staged through Mauripur during and after WWII

1940-1947: Known as RIAF Base Mauripur

1945-1947: Hosted numerous RAF squadrons including Nos. 5, 10, 20, 31, 62, 77, 117, 267, 298

RAF squadrons operated Hawker Tempest F.2, Douglas Dakota, Handley Page Halifax A.7

British units continued using airfield after Pakistan creation in 1947

1947-1956: Known as RPAF Station Mauripur

1956: British units finally left; RAF Gan and Masirah took over staging duties

23 March 1956: Renamed PAF Station Mauripur

24 May 1968: Renamed PAF Station Masroor in honor of Air Commodore Masroor Hosain

1 July 1970: PAF stations renamed to bases, became PAF Base Masroor

1979: Home to No. 7 Squadron with Martin B-57B Canberra

Used for domestic flights before Karachi Airport

Used by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan

Currently commanded by Air Commodore Omair Najmi

Important Events

1942

Established by RIAF during World War II as transit airfield for RAF operations

1945-1947

Hosted major RAF squadrons during and after WWII: Tempest fighters, Dakota transports, Halifax bombers

1947

Partition of British India; became RPAF Station Mauripur

1956

British RAF units finally departed; renamed PAF Station Mauripur

24 May 1968

Renamed PAF Station Masroor in honor of base commander Air Commodore Masroor Hosain

1 July 1970

PAF stations renamed to bases; became PAF Base Masroor

Location on Map

Loading map...

BASE CATEGORY
Major Operational Base
NAMED AFTER
Air Commodore Masroor Hosain, former base commander
NOTES
Largest airbase in Pakistan and Asia by area. IATA: MSR. Originally known as Mauripur. Immense strategic importance for defending coastal and Southern Pakistan. Houses 32 Tactical Attack Wing with six squadrons. Home to College of Aviation Safety Management and Tactical Air Support School (TASS). Commander: Air Commodore Omair Najmi. Historic WWII transit airfield that served RAF Far East Air Force

Quick Facts

Established:1942 (RIAF during WWII)
Elevation:11 m (36 ft)
Squadrons:6
Aircraft Types:7
Runways:2
Status:Operational