The Gwadar New International Airport Project (GNIAP) has been officially stated to be operational by September 2023, and the development work is dynamically pushing ahead. Gwadar airport is the largest foreign aid project with an investment of around 1.7 billion Yuan, under the supervision of the Airport Engineering Branch of the China Railway Engineering Bureau. The airport’s development is a part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) development, which is a cornerstone of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative.
Located at Gurandani, 26 KM east of Gwadar city, this greenfield airport is spread over 4300 acres of land, while the runway is around 3,658 meters in length.
The New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) will be the country’s biggest airport and it will be managed and operated by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). It is a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman, and China, the airport will handle domestic and international operations.
This Greenfield airport will incorporate an advanced terminal structure close by a cargo terminal, with refrigeration facilities for perishable items, with a handling capacity of 30,000 tons per year. NGIA will have the ability to accommodate wide-body airplanes including Airbus A380 and Boeing 747- 400 and including narrow-body airplanes, for example, ATR-72 and Boeing 737-900.
Development timeline
The New Gwadar International Airport project was initiated as a high-priority project of the CPEC program in 2014. It was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in January 2015.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held in March 2019, as of the latest development it is announced that the airport will be operational by September 2023.
Gwadar New International Airport is one of the most important projects for CPEC and for all of Pakistan. It is in line with the vision of Honorable PM to promote the tourism industry in Pakistan.
This New International Airport will play important role in the development of Gwadar, it will not just bring a robust intake of tourists but in fact, will be a great attraction for investors as foreign trade increases. The airport will provide humongous cargo handling and employment opportunities as well. It will act as an invitation for the expats and other investors to seek residence in Gwadar which will expand the horizon of real estate in Gwadar.
Currently, exceptionally growing residential projects signify the importance of housing in the port city of Gwadar. Developers are increasing their efforts to bring their projects towards completion and among these fast track developers, Rafi Group was the one to envision the great opportunities Gwadar holds. Chairman Imtiaz Rafi Butt back in 2004 foresaw the potential of Gwadar and its great input in the economy of Pakistan and thus laid the foundation of Green Palms Housing Project, which is now the largest privately-owned residential project with an approved NOC of 1065 acres from GDA.
The group is now in an agreement with IGI Life vitality Insurance that facilitates the customers like no other real estate project in Pakistan has done before. The insurance facility comes with the booking of any residential or commercial plots. This historic act offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for investment in Gwadar, and Pakistanis should take advantage of this unique investment inclusive of life insurance opportunity and benefit the country as a whole.
