KARACHI: The New Gwadar International Airport is set to receive its first flight at its inauguration today (Monday).
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-503 was to depart from Karachi at 9:14am and land at the New Gwadar International Airport. However, the flight took off for Gwadar at 10am after aviation sources revealed a 45-minute delay.
The airport, a key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has replaced the old airport on flight tracking platforms, with its location now tagged on flight radar.
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.
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.
