New Gwadar International Airport Receives Inaugural Flight, Becomes Operational
Gwadar: The New Gwadar International Airport, a flagship project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), officially commenced operations today with the arrival of its inaugural flight.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-503 landed at the new facility at 11:14 am, marking a significant milestone in the region’s aviation and economic development. The flight, which departed Karachi at 10:00 am after a brief delay, was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute.
Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, and other dignitaries were present at the airport to commemorate the occasion.
Spread across 4,300 acres, the New Gwadar International Airport is Pakistan’s largest by area and is situated 26 kilometers from Gwadar city in the Gurandani area. The state-of-the-art facility features a 3,658-meter-long and 75-meter-wide runway capable of accommodating large aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747.
The airport, constructed at a cost of approximately Rs50 billion, replaces the old Gwadar airport and is now reflected on flight tracking platforms such as FlightRadar. Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had symbolically inaugurated the facility on October 14, 2024.
This development is seen as a crucial step toward enhancing connectivity and boosting economic activity in Gwadar, a key hub in the CPEC initiative.
