New Gwadar International Airport: Pakistan's 2nd Greenfield Class 4F Airport Nearing Completion

by Riaz Haq

Jun 16, 2022

The architecture of the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is inspired by a rising Phoenix. It is Pakistan's second greenfield airport built from scratch in a new location. With a 3,650-meter long runway, it is a Class 4F airport.  NGIA is scheduled to begin test flights in December this year.  The only other airport with a 3,600-meter long runway is the New Islamabad International Airport that opened for commercial flights in 2018. Karachi and Lahore international airports have runways lengths of 3,400 meters and 3,360 meters respectively, putting them in 4E class. All four of these major Pakistani airports can handle landing of Airbus A380, the largest commercial airliner in operation today. 

New Gwadar International Airport Architecture Inspired by A Rising Phoenix

New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is being built in Gwadar at a cost of $246 million on an area of 4,300 acres. Construction of NGIA started in October, 2019. The entire project is being built by the state-owned China Airport Construction Company funded by a Chinese government grant. It was originally scheduled for completion in 36 months. The work was slightly delayed due to the COVID19 pandemic. It is now expected to be ready for trial flights in December, 2022. 

New Gwadar International Airport, Gwadar, Pakistan

NGIA is part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. Another key CPEC project recently completed in Gwadar is the 19-kilometer long six-lane East Bay Expressway. It was opened for traffic on June 3, 2022. East Bay Expressway connects to the Makran Coastal Highway which in turn is connected to the larger network of motorways and highways in the country as well as to China and the landlocked nations of Central Asia in CAREC.

East Bay Expressway, Gwadar, Pakistan

The completion of New Gwadar International Airport and East Bay Expressway is an indication that the Western and Indian media headlines about the death of CPEC are not credible. To the contrary, the continuing progress on CPEC projects confirms the strong commitment of both the Chinese and the Pakistan government to move forward with their broad-based cooperation. Just yesterday, Pakistan's new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that his government is determined to complete all the projects under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said China would continue to support its companies in investing and operating in Pakistan to realize win-win results and shared development. 

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  • Riaz Haq

    Pakistan’s Maritime Vision: Transforming Gwadar Into A Global Trade Hub – OpEd – Eurasia Review

    by Dr Sahibzada Usman

    https://www.eurasiareview.com/07032025-pakistans-maritime-vision-tr...

    In order to make Pakistan a global maritime hub, the country is developing its major ports such as Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar on massive infrastructure development program. Presently, Pakistan’s ports are working at 50 per cent of their potential capacity, resulting into inefficiencies that are stifling further trade expansion. Pakistan’s investment in deep sea facilities, container terminals and modern logistics is aimed at bringing port capacity to maximum and improving its trade operations. To increase port efficiency, the government intends to make the port digitalized, automated, and have an improved cargo handling mechanism to house giant vessels of up to 20,000 containers.

    Especially, Gwadar is the focus of these modernization efforts. Given this, Gwadar is set to become a regional transshipment hub for achieving regional trade needs in Asia, Middle East and Africa, as Gwadar is an important economic driver supported by the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Free zones, warehousing facility, integrated customs management system are some of the serious infrastructure upgrades the port is undergoing to facilitate seamless trade operations.

    Being situated between Arabian Sea and having good access to global trade routes, Pakistan has the potential to become one of the regional trade powerhouses. And, for the government of Azerbaijan the maritime sector is identified as a key driver for economic growth and the country’s geographic advantage is to be used in order to create the trade connectivity with Central Asian Republics (CARs), Gulf States and beyond. Investment in modern transport corridors, rail networks and road infrastructure linking Gwadar with regional markets will allow Pakistan to become a gateway to trade around the world.

    Moreover, Pakistan’s maritime vision is aimed at growing exports from $32 billion to $60 billion by using ports to maximum capacity. The country can reduce the related logistics costs, and improve port efficiency to give local exporters a competitive advantage that will create a more favorable ease of doing business and increase participation in international trade.

    In order to sustain in the long term, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in maritime sector of Pakistan is essential. The government is planning policies to make Pakistan’s port infrastructure more investor friendly with increasing global interest in Pakistan’s port infrastructure. They encourage the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) near ports, tax incentives for shipping companies and public private partnership in logistics and maritime industries, for the purpose of economic growth.

    Mar 8

  • Riaz Haq

    Pakistani Airport at Quetta International Wins International Award

    Source: ProPakistani

    https://propakistani.pk/2025/07/20/pakistani-airport-wins-internati...

    Officials say the runway—completed without closing the airport and at a cost of around PKR 5 billion—now ranks among the region’s longest and strongest rigid-runways.

    The award recognizes the Pakistan Airports Authority and project consultancy teams for their exemplary planning, technical skill, and safety record.

    The runway saw its first landing by PIA Flight PK‑3250 from Islamabad on 31 May 2023.



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    Quetta International Airport's runway: The airport has a single runway that is 3,658 meters (12,001 feet) long and asphalt-surfaced. This runway can handle the weight of a wide-body aircraft like the A300.

    Airbus A380 runway requirements: The Airbus A380 generally requires a minimum runway length of about 3,000 meters for takeoff. Landing distance could be less, around 2,150 meters at maximum certified landing weight and sea level in dry conditions. However, other factors like payload, fuel, temperature, altitude, and safety margins can influence the required runway length, with a safe estimate being around 10,000 feet (approximately 3,048 meters).

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    Yes, a Boeing 787 can land at Quetta International Airport. The airport has a 3,658-meter (12,001 ft) runway that is capable of handling wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 and other passenger planes. The airport is undergoing upgrades, including runway renovations and expansions, to accommodate more wide-body aircraft.
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    An Airport Reference Code (ARC) of 4F indicates that the airport can accommodate the largest aircraft in terms of both wingspan and runway length requirements.
    While Quetta International Airport has been upgraded to accommodate wide-body aircraft, its current classification isn't explicitly stated as 4F in the provided search results. However, the upgrade to accommodate larger aircraft like the A330 and the B777, and the runway length of 12,001 feet, strongly suggest that it would be compatible with a Boeing 787.
    Therefore, while the specific Airport Reference Code (ARC) of Quetta International Airport isn't definitively listed as 4F in the provided information, the airport's runway length and stated capacity to handle wide-body aircraft strongly indicate that a Boeing 787 would be able to land there safely.

    Jul 21

  • Riaz Haq

    Pakistan seeks $2 billion Chinese funding for CPEC

    The federal government has finalised the agenda for the upcoming Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting with China, seeking financing of over $2 billion for major infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).


    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2566723/pakistan-seeks-2-billion-chine...

    According to sources, the agenda includes the Karakoram Highway (KKH) Phase II, the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project, and the East Bay Expressway.

    Pakistan has requested $1.5 billion in financing for KKH Phase II and the East Bay Expressway, while an additional $500 million has been proposed for the Rohri-Multan section of the ML-1 track.

    The realignment of KKH Phase II alone is estimated to cost around Rs500 billion, while the 14-kilometre East Bay Expressway is projected to require over Rs30 billion.

    Sources added that China will cover 85 per cent of the expenses for both the KKH Phase II and the East Bay Expressway projects.

    yesterday