The Gwadar airport is expected to open soon

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to inaugurate the new Gwadar International Airport on March 23 in Balochistan’s Gwadar district.

According to the sources, the Civil Aviation Authority has concluded its safety inspection of the airport and deemed it clear and completely ready for fly operations.

On Pakistan Day, March 23, the government is likely to launch flight operations at the airport.

Gurandani, which is 26 kilometres east of Gwadar city, is where the airport is situated. The project’s projected $230 million cost was financed through a grant from the Chinese government under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.

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The development of the airport reportedly produced 3,000 employments, according to the CPEC website. On March 29, 2019, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who was serving as prime minister at the time, officiated at the airport’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Implementation of the project was handed over to the Aviation Division.

Meanwhile, its construction work began on October 31, 2019. As per the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor website, the expected completion date of the project was March 2023.

“Construction of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA), along with allied facilities for a new airport that will be capable of handling a combination of ATR 72, Airbus, (A-300), Boeing (B-737), and Boeing (B-747) for domestic as well international routes,” the web portal mentions regarding the much-anticipated facility.

Earlier today, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal chaired a review meeting on the “Test flight at the new Gwadar International Airport” in Islamabad.

According to a tweet by the ministry, the meeting discussed progress on projects including CAA Complex, landslide infrastructure, cargo building, Airports Security Force (ASF) Camp for 1,050 Personnel, and 132kV grid station.

The federal minister also instructed CAA to complete all development projects before September 2023 for the airport. He also asked the authority to present a plan of action within three days for execution and implementation of the remaining tasks.

At a press conference last month, the prime minister claimed that dredging had started at the Gwadar port and that wheat was being exported from it.