The first commercial flight of the national airline (PIA) on Monday successfully landed at the New Gwadar International Airport, which according to officials is the country’s largest airport in terms of area.
A PIA ATR plane landed at the New Gwadar International Airport on Monday morning, and a ceremony was organized there in this regard.
According to officials, the Gwadar Airport project, which has a capacity of four hundred thousand passengers per year, was approved by the Pakistan People’s Party government in 2009, while its construction began in 2019. Thus, it took about 16 years for the airport to become fully operational for commercial flights.
Officials say that the overall security situation in the country, especially attacks on Chinese engineers, has delayed the construction of the airport. It should be noted that China has invested heavily in other major projects, including the construction of an airport in the coastal city of Gwadar in Balochistan.
China has also built a port in Gwadar in addition to the airport under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative to build trade infrastructure around the world.
What is special about the New Gwadar Airport?
Gwadar Airport
, Image source: GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
According to a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority, flight PK 503 departed from Karachi at 9:50 am and landed at the state-of-the-art Gwadar airport at 11:15 am, marking the start of regular operations at the New Gwadar Airport.
The first flight was saluted by two fire engines with a water cannon.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the lounge of the New Gwadar Airport. Minister for Defense and Aviation Khawaja Asif was the chief guest at the event. He welcomed the flight and its passengers along with Balochistan Governor Jafar Khan Mandokhel and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti.
Khawaja Asif termed the New Gwadar International Airport as a symbol of a new era of prosperity for the people of Balochistan and said that it will increase investment, create employment opportunities and promote local businesses.
Khawaja Asif also said during his address that the construction of Gwadar Airport is a remarkable feat of China-Pakistan cooperation and this project came to life with the immense efforts and dedication of Pakistani and Chinese teams.
Gwadar Airport
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, the New Gwadar International Airport project is a flagship project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is strategically located in Grandani and covers an area of about 4,300 acres.
A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority said that it is the largest airport in Pakistan in terms of area, with a major share of China in the grant for its construction and some part from Oman.
Its runway is 3.6 km long, which is also suitable for landing large aircraft such as Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. It has modern air traffic control systems and navigational aids, and modern security features and passenger amenities.
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In addition to English and Urdu, the directional boards displayed at the airport to guide passengers are also written in Chinese.
The Airports Authority claims that the airport, which has state-of-the-art infrastructure, has a capacity of four hundred thousand passengers per year, meaning that 33,000 passengers can arrive every month.
It should be remembered that the old airport has been receiving about three ATR flights every week. The first flight to the new airport has also been an ATR.
Gwadar Airport
The new Gwadar Airport was in the planning stages before the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. Its implementation has also increased its cost many times over due to delays.
During the Pakistan Peoples Party government, the Central Development Working Party of the then Planning Commission approved its construction in September 2009 at a cost of about $90.6 million.
However, according to the Airports Authority, the current project has been developed at a cost of about $246 million, the funding of which includes grants from the Government of Pakistan, the Pakistan Airports Authority, the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of China.
According to the summary submitted by the Planning Commission, the revised scheme proposed to acquire about 4,300 acres of land for the construction of a new airport at Grandani, 26 km east of Gwadar city.
The estimated cost of the project was about Rs6.8 billion, of which Rs1.5 billion was spent on acquiring 4,300 acres of land.
