Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi said that the new Gwadar International Airport represents yet another chapter of Pak-China friendship, trade, tourism, and regional prosper.  “A historic moment indeed as the first commercial flight lands at Gwadar International Airport. This milestone is a testament to Pakistan’s growing connectivity; it marks completion of another CPEC infrastructure project and represents yet another chapter of Pak-China friendship, trade, tourism, and regional prosperity,” he commented on social media platform X. 

The New Gwadar International Airport, funded and built by China as a grant, officially commenced operations on January 20. The first flight, PIA503 operated by Pakistan International Airlines, arrived at the newly inaugurated airport from Karachi. The airport is a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility built to handle the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658-meter-long, 75-meter-wide runway, with a specialized foundation, sets a benchmark in engineering standards. The new airport is located in a coastal area and faces a harsh salt spray environment that may potentially cause corrosion.

According to a Chinese construction technician, the construction team took anti-corrosion measures in many aspects, such as the foundations, steel structures and decoration, with the aim of ensuring the durability of the terminal building.  The manager of the new airport told Chinese media that the facility will greatly improve Pakistan’s air connectivity with other countries and provide easy access for international cargo and tourists. The airport will also be equipped with a refrigerated cargo storage system to facilitate exports of local seafood and further integrate Gwadar’s economy into the global market. 

Addressing previous connectivity challenges, the airport will enable modern airlines to serve Gwadar, enhancing regional economic growth and positioning Gwadar as a transshipment hub linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).  Launched in 2013, the CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in Southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Kashgar in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It highlighted energy, transport and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while the new phase expands into the fields of agriculture and livelihoods, among others.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)