Gwadar Airport
Gwadar is now open to the world at large. By connecting the strategic airport to commercial aviation, a dream has come true. It is a leap forward in realising connectivity and making the southern coastal zones of Balochistan easily accessible in terms of freight and passengers. The airport by virtue of its unique location and being situated in the theatre of CPEC will surely have dividends in connecting Pakistan to global markets, buoying economic development at home and promoting tourism and trade. It is no mean achievement that the airport has been completed against odds of insecurity, and it speaks a lot about the commitment that both Pakistan and China attach to the multibillion investment project for the region and beyond.
The inaugural flight carrying 46 passengers that landed on the 3.6 kilometer long runway facing the Bay of Arabian Sea on Monday was a manifest in itself. This airport is now in the league of strategic outlets such as Dubai and Singapore that are natural connecting routes for mass productivity. On a smaller scale though, the fact that Gwadar airport is backed by China's BRI makes it gigantic in essence and utility. Beijing has poured in a staggering $230 million to put it on the map of the world. The airport, nonetheless, boasts state-of-the-art facilities over an area of 4,300 acres that could cater to an annual capacity of 400,000 passengers, capable of accommodating Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. It includes advanced security features, air traffic control systems and navigational aids.
With CPEC entering its second phase, industrialisation and logistics are the buzzwords of success. Gwadar airport will thus surely have a role to play, and the need of the hour is to operate it on thorough professional lines, welcoming all international airlines and ensuring that it does not come with additional financial pinch. Likewise, reopening non-functional airports in other far-flung areas - Dalbadin, Parachinar, Bannu, Khuzdar, Sibi, Rawalakot, Saidu Sharif and Sehwan - should be on the radar. Time to bring in world class aviation back to Pakistan.