Gwadar International Airport

Gwadar International Airport (IATA: GWD, ICAO: OPGD) (Urdu: گوادر بین الاقوامی طیران گاہ‎) is an international airport situated 14 km (9 miles) north of the city centre of Gwadar,[2] in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Gwadar International Airport


گوادر بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا (Urdu)
بال پٹ گوادر (Balochi)
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerPakistan
OperatorPakistan Civil Aviation Authority
ServesGwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan
LocationGwadar Port
Elevation AMSL28 ft / 8.40 m
Coordinates
Websitecaapakistan.com.pk/...
Map
GWD
Location of airport in Pakistan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 2,000 6,500 Asphalt
Statistics (2017-18[1])
Passengers33,948
Passenger change16.9%
Aircraft movements828 15.9% Sources: AIP Pakistan[2] and DAFIF[3][4]

History

In 1958, the town of Gwadar was purchased by Government of Pakistan from the Sultan of Muscat.[5] Air operations started in 1966. The airport gained international status when two weekly flights from Karachi to Muscat via Gwadar were initiated with Fokker F-27 aircraft. The terminal building was inaugurated in 1984 and new departure/VIP lounges opened in 2008.

The current airport caters mainly to the population of Gwadar. Pakistan International Airlines, the main airline flying out of the airport, connects Gwadar to Karachi, Turbat, Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Tehran, Mashhad, Bahrain and Muscat. Other airlines had recently launched their flights to Gwadar and currently had been doing pretty well due to successful performance. These included Oman Air, which flew to Muscat using ATR 42 aircraft, and airblue, which started twice daily flights to Karachi through its joint venture partner JS Air.

Structure
  • Apron
    • Four narrow body aircraft can park at the apron at one time. Every type of jet can land here.
  • Lounges
    • One domestic and one International lounge.
    • One CIP/VIP lounge for premium and executive passengers. (newly inaugurated in 2008)
  • Additional
    • Facility for prayer available, separate for ladies and gents.
    • Fire services, NDB, standby generators are available.
    • 24-hour priority notice for unexpected arrival into the airport.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Pakistan International Airlines Karachi, Muscat, Turbat

New Gwadar International Airport Construction

A New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is being built and will be country's biggest when completed in late 2022. Occupying 4,300 acres (17 km²) of land, it is located in Gurandani, 26km north-east of the existing airport in Gwadar City on the south-western Arabian Sea coast of Balochistan region. NGIA is expected to cost $246 million. It is fully funded by China as a grant.[6][7][8]

PM Imran Khan had laid down the foundation stone for NGIA on 29 March 2019.[9][10] This greenfield airport will include a modern terminal building alongside a cargo terminal, with refrigeration facilities for perishable items, with an initial handling capacity of 30,000 tonnes a year. NGIA will have the capacity to accommodate aircraft wide body aircraft including Airbus A380 & Boeing 747-400 and including narrow body aircraft such as ATR-72 & Boeing 737-900.[11][12][13]

It will have a single runway with 3,658 metres of length and a width of 75 metres that will have the capacity to accommodate wide bodied aircraft. A taxiway of 23 metres length alongside a 10.5 metre paved shoulders for both sides.[8] The airport will also have the capacity to build the second runway in the north direction of the first runway. An Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower, crash, fire and rescue facilities will be built as well as a fuel farm. The CAA Pakistan had awarded the design to build contract of the new airport to the China Communications Construction Company (CCC), which is expected to be completed in late 2022.

The New Gwadar International Airport will be constructed at a cost of Rs55.4 billion.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Statistical Data for Web site Major Traffic Flow Airport & Airline wise - Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority". www.caapakistan.com.pk.
  2. AIP Pakistan: OPGD – Gwadar Archived 19 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Airport information for OPGD at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
  4. Airport information for GWD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  5. Baloch, Behram. "Gwadar & Sultanate of Oman | Balochistan Inside". Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  6. "Construction work on Gwadar airport to begin in April". www.thenews.com.pk. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  7. "New Gwadar International Airport, Pakistan". Airport Technology. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  8. https://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/News/pdf/29032019-1.pdf
  9. "Prime Minister Open Work On New Gawadar Airport". UrduPoint. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  10. "Pakistan's Gwadar International Airport will be the largest in the country". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  11. "Development of Gwadar will benefit entire world: PM". www.radio.gov.pk. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  12. "New Gwadar International Airport | China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Official Website". cpec.gov.pk. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  13. Tribune.com.pk (29 March 2019). "Imran launches work on mega projects in Balochistan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  14. "Gwadar International Airport project okayed". The Express Tribune. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
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