Gwadar Airport's Delay Raises Eyebrows
The $230M New Gwadar Airport remains underutilized despite its inauguration, facing delays in international promotion and commercialization efforts.
The New Gwadar International Airport, constructed with a $230 million grant from China, remains largely dormant due to insufficient efforts by aviation and port authorities to internationalize the facility or engage consultants for its commercialization.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed sharp disapproval of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) for failing to devise a detailed plan to commercialize the airport. During a review meeting, officials presented a mere two-page report, largely filled with procedural details about the airport's facilities.
Although the airport was inaugurated last month by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, it has yet to witness significant operations. Progress has been made in securing approvals for allocating spaces to government agencies, PIA, ground handling agents, and other stakeholders for cargo services, courier systems, and traffic management. Additionally, a tender is being issued to establish cold storage facilities.
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