Islamabad, December 7 (IANS). Operation of Pakistan’s new ‘International Gwadar Airport’ will start by the end of December. Acting Director General of ‘Pakistan Airport Authority’ (PAA) Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed said this.
Xinhua news agency quoted PAA as saying that during the airport visit, Saeed was informed about the airport’s state-of-the-art facilities and future trade and investment potential from its operation.
Built with the help of China, this airport has a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility, which is capable of handling even the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658 meter long, 75 meter wide runway, with special foundation treatment, sets a benchmark in engineering standards.
This airport has a huge apron with five slots for wide-body aircraft. There are also plans for a dedicated cargo shed and larger cargo operations with future expansion.
The airport will enhance regional economic development and establish Gwadar as a transshipment hub connected to the ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC).
The CPEC project, launched in 2013, is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. It connects Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province to Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
–IANS
SCH/MK
