Chinese Government provides RMB 657 million grant for New Gwadar International Airport Construction Project

In January 2015, the Chinese Government announced that it would soon begin construction of the New Gwadar International Airport in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan then allocated 3000 acres of land 26km to the northwest of the current Gwadar International Airport for the construction of the new airport. On May 13, 2017, the Chinese Government and the Government of Pakistan signed letters of exchange, which committed RMB 657 million of grant funding for the construction of the New Gwadar International Airport. Upon completion, the airport will reportedly be capable of handling a combination of ATR 72, Airbus A-380, Boeing B-737 and Boeing B-747 for domestic and international routes. Covering an area of 18 square km, the new airport will also be the second largest airport in Pakistan. The airport is located in Gurandani area, some 26 km northeast of Gwadar city of Balochistan province. The contractor responsible for project implementation is China Airport Construction Group Corporation (CACC). The groundbreaking ceremony for the New Gwadar International Airport took place on March 29, 2019. Construction then began on October 31, 2019. As of March 25, 2022, the project had achieved a 26% completion rate. Upon completion, the airport will link Pakistan's fast-rising southwest Gwadar port city with the rest of the world. The project is projected to reach completion in March 2023.

Additional details

1. The Chinese project title is 巴基斯坦瓜达尔新国际机场. 2. China’s MOFCOM reports that this project is China's largest development assistance project in Pakistan.

Number of official sources

13

Number of total sources

30