ISLAMABAD, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The New Gwadar International Airport will commence operations on Jan. 20, the Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement on Thursday.
A donation by China, the airport is a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility to handle the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658-meter-long, 75-meter-wide runway, with specialized foundation treatment, sets a benchmark in engineering standards.
Designed to transform connectivity, the airport features a spacious apron with five slots for wide-body aircraft and plans for extensive cargo operations with a dedicated cargo shed and future expansions.
Addressing previous connectivity challenges, the airport will enable modern airlines to serve Gwadar, enhancing regional economic growth and positioning Gwadar as a transshipment hub linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Launched in 2013, the CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while in the new phase expands to fields of agriculture and livelihood, among others.■
