- PIA PK-197 marks an important step for Gwadar airport operations.
- PIA will ensure a weekly flight from Gwadar to Muscat.
- The same plane will return to Gwadar later in the afternoon.
Karachi: International air operations have officially started from the new Gwadar International Airport, with the inaugural flight, PK-197 of the national company Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), at the start for Mascate at 9:41 am today.
The same ATR plane will come back from Muscat to Gwadar later in the afternoon under the name of flight PK-198.
Earlier in the day, the plane had arrived in Gwadar from Karachi under the name of the PK-503 flight, transporting passengers to ultramodern facilities.
PIA has launched a weekly international flight to Mascate from the new Gwadar International Airport. During the inaugural flight, 39 passengers left for Muscat, and senior PIA officials made their farewell to the airport.
The airport, the flagship project of the Chine-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), became operational on January 20. Although it is fully equipped to accommodate large Airbus and Boeing planes, the national airline is currently operating ATR planes on the Gwadar road due to low passenger demand.
Aeronautical sources have revealed that larger planes would be deployed as demand increases.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif celebrated the commissioning of Gwadar airport, describing it as an important step towards Gwadar’s connection with Central Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and the countries of the Gulf.
The first commercial flight of the airport, the PK-503, landed on Monday with 46 passengers on board. The plane was greeted by a salvation with the water cannon and a ceremony in the presence of the Minister of Defense and Aviation Khawaja Asif, the Governor of Balutchistan Jafar Khan Mandokhel and the Minister of Chief Sarfaraz Ahmad Bugti.
Extending on 4,300 acres, New Gwadar International Airport is the largest Pakistan airport in terms of area. Located 26 kilometers from the city of Gwadar, in the Gurandani region, the installation has a track 3,658 meters long capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747.
Built at a cost of $ 246 million, funded by Pakistan, China and Oman, the airport has air traffic control systems, navigation aid and advanced safety devices. It is designed to accommodate 400,000 passengers per year and offers modern equipment to travelers.
With international flights now operational, the new Gwadar International Airport should become a crucial link connecting Pakistan to regional and international hubs.