New Gwadar International Airport to be fully functional by September 2023

The construction work on the New Gwadar International Airport is on track, and the airport is expected to be fully operational by September 2023.

This was revealed by the Secretary of the Aviation Division to the Parliamentary Committee on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Friday.

During the meeting, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on CPEC, Sher Ali Arbab, emphasized the importance of Gwadar as a gateway to CPEC that would open new opportunities for the region.

Therefore, the authorities will ensure that the issues pertaining to the city’s infrastructure, including the construction of the new airport in the port city, are resolved, Arbab added.

New Gwadar International Airport

The New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is a new greenfield airport being built in Gwadar.

The airport’s foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in a groundbreaking ceremony on the 29th of March, 2019. 

The airport is expected to be owned by a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman, and China.

The location of the airport is in Gurandani, 26km northeast of the existing airport in Gwadar. Its construction is expected to cost $246 million, most of which is funded via a grant provided by China.

The airport would spread over an area of 4,300 acres, and it will have the capacity to accommodate several types of aircraft for domestic and international routes.

These will include narrow-body aircraft, such as ATR 72 and Boeing B-737, and wide-body aircraft, such as the Airbus A-380 and the Boeing B-747.

The airport will feature a modern terminal building, which will be spread over a 14,000m² area.

It will also have a cargo terminal with an initial handling capacity of 30,000 tonnes annually.

The terminal will feature modern facilities and assure safe operations by improving passenger comfort and convenience.

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