Gwadar New International Airport Project’s construction progressing in orderly manner

BEIJING - The construction of Gwadar New International Airport Project (GNIAP), a key project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework, has officially been launched and at present, the construction work is progressing in an orderly manner.

The China Railway Engineering Bureau’s Airport Engineering Branch is constructing the largest foreign aid project. At present, the living area of the project has been basically in place, the site has been cleared and completed in an orderly manner according to the construction plan, according to a report published by Guangming News, a Chinese language newspaper.

The NGIAP project is located about 26 kilometers northeast of Gwadar city, just off the Makran Coastal Highway. The airport site is spread over an area of 43 acres. It covers an area of about 18 square kilometers and the main runway is 3,658 meters and a modern terminal covers an area of 14,000 square meters.

There will be common supporting facilities including water supply, power supply, HVAC, etc. and necessary air traffic control projects including weather, communication, navigation, etc., and construction of corresponding hospitals, schools, family areas, and other facilities, the flight zone level is the highest level 4F, Takeoff and landing A380, B747.

The design and construction of the new airport are in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (CIAO) standards. It is the project with the largest amount of funds since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with a total investment of nearly 1.7 billion yuan.

“The project is one of the key projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and one of the key projects under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is a great honor to participate in the construction of the project in a foreign country.

“We understand that responsibility is great. Under the guidance of the project consortium management organization, adhering to the corporate spirit of China Railway’s ‘bringing ahead and pursuing excellence’, the quality and quantity will complete the construction task as scheduled, and the Gwadar new airport will be built into the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework,” Mao Guoqi, deputy general manager of the Airport Engineering Branch of China Railway Engineering Bureau in Gwadar, said.

After the completion of the Gwadar New International Airport, it will become a landmark building for the modernization of the Gwadar region.

It has important strategic significance for the development of Gwadar city and is an important transportation infrastructure that benefits Gwadar and connects other cities.

The future development of the city will lay a better foundation, further enhance China-Pakistan economic and trade cooperation, and further enhance China-Pakistan friendship.

It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Imran Khan had performed the groundbreaking of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIAP) along with Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing in a prestigious and simple ceremony held on March 29, this year.

The NGIAP project is part of the overall infrastructure development of Balochistan province. The airport will be developed as a green-field airport with all modern facilities for safe operation, passengers' comfort and convenience.