BEIJING, Jan 23 : China on Thursday congratulated the New Gwadar International Airport on its official operation and termed it a key facility for Gwadar Port to become a regional connectivity hub, and important symbol of further deepening of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) construction.
To a question regarding official opening of New Gwadar International Airport, the spokesperson’s office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “We believe that the operation of the new Gwadar airport will significantly enhance the external connectivity of the Gwadar region, promote the integrated development of ports, aviation, and trade, and bring more development opportunities to the western region of Pakistan.”
China is willing to work with Pakistan to adhere to the goals of high standards, sustainability, and benefiting people’s livelihoods, and jointly build an upgraded version of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor to assist in the economic and social development of China and Pakistan, as well as regional prosperity, the spokesperson’s office added.
It may be mentioned here that the New Gwadar International Airport, built and funded by China as a grant, officially commenced operation on Monday.
The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad in its comment posted on social media platform X said, “The Gwadar New Int’l Airport, Chinese aided project, welcomes its first commercial flight PA-503 today. As a shining example of China-Pakistan friendship, it can accommodate the largest civil aircraft, and will pave the way for Gwadar to become a regional business hub.”
The new airport is a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility built to handle the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658-meter-long, 75-meter-wide runway, with a specialized foundation, sets a benchmark in engineering standards.
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.
On October 14, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif jointly attended the completion ceremony of the new Gwadar International Airport Project at the Prime Minister’s Office.
