New Gwadar International Airport set to be inaugurated today

KARACHI: The New Gwadar International Airport, a key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is being inaugurated today (Monday).

However, the departure of the first flight from Karachi to Gwadar has been delayed.

According to the flight schedule, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-503 was to depart from Karachi at 9:14am and land at the New Gwadar International Airport.

Aviation sources revealed that the flight’s departure had been delayed by 45 minutes and later left for the new airport at 10am.

Upon landing, the inaugural flight will receive a water salute.

Airport sources have said that dignitaries including Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, and prominent figures from Pakistan and China will be present to welcome passengers at the new airport.

The New Gwadar International Airport has replaced the old airport on flight tracking platforms, with its location now tagged on flight radar.

Spread across 430 acres, the airport is Pakistan’s largest in terms of area. Located 26 kilometres from Gwadar city in the Gurandani area, the airport features a single runway measuring 3,658 metres in length and 75 metres in width.

The runway is capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747.

Constructed at a cost of approximately Rs50 billion, the airport’s symbolic inauguration was carried out by former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on October 14, 2024.

However, regular flight operations are set to commence today.