Gwadar International Airport
Gwadar International Airport (IATA: GWD, ICAO: OPGD) (Balochi: گوادر میان اُستمانی بالی پٹ, Urdu: گوادر بین الاقوامی طیران گاہ) is an international airport situated 14 km (9 miles) north of the city centre of Gwadar,[2] in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
Gwadar International Airport گوادر بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا (Urdu) گوادر میان اُستمانی بالی پٹ (Balochi) | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Pakistan | ||||||||||
| Operator | Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan | ||||||||||
| Location | Gwadar Port-91200 | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1966 | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 28 ft / 8.40 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°13′56″N 062°19′38″E | ||||||||||
| Website | caapakistan | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
Location in Gwadar | |||||||||||
  GWD/OPGW Location of airport in Gwadar  GWD/OPGW GWD/OPGW (Pakistan)  GWD/OPGW GWD/OPGW (Asia) | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2017-18[1]) | |||||||||||
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History
The history of the airport is traced back to 1958 when the Government of Pakistan bought Gwadar from Muscat’s Sultan.[5] Air operations started in 1966. The airport gained international status when two weekly flights from Karachi to Muscat via Gwadar were initiated with Fokker F-27 aircraft. The terminal building was inaugurated in 1984 and the airport was established as a domestic airport and considered to be the biggest airport of Balochistan which facilitates the passengers especially the people of Gwadar. The new departure/VIP lounges were opened in 2008.
The current airport caters mainly to the population of Gwadar. Pakistan International Airlines, the main airline flying out of the airport, connects Gwadar to Karachi, Turbat, Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Tehran, Mashhad, Bahrain and Muscat. Other airlines had recently launched their flights to Gwadar and currently had been doing pretty well due to successful performance. These included Oman Air, which flew to Muscat using ATR 42 aircraft, and Airblue, which started twice daily flights to Karachi through its joint venture partner JS Air.
Structure
- Apron
- Four narrow-body aircraft can park at the apron at one time. Every type of jet can land here.
- Lounges
- One domestic and one International lounge.
- One CIP/VIP lounge for premium and executive passengers. (newly inaugurated in 2008)
- Additional
- Facility for prayer available; separate for ladies and gents.
- Fire services, NDB, standby generators are available.
- 24-hour priority notice for unexpected arrival into the airport.
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Pakistan International Airlines | Karachi, Muscat, Turbat |
New Gwadar International Airport
The New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is being built and will be country's biggest and is expected to be inaugurated by the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.[6] Occupying 4,300 acres (17 km2) of land, it is located in Gurandani, 26 km north-east of the existing airport in Gwadar City on the south-western Arabian Sea coast of Balochistan region.[7][8][9]
It will have a single runway with 3,658 metres of length and a width of 75 metres that will have the capacity to accommodate wide bodied aircraft. A taxiway of 23 metres length alongside a 10.5 metre paved shoulders for both sides.[9] The airport will also have the capacity to build a second runway to the north of the first runway. An Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower, crash, fire and rescue facilities will be built as well as a fuel farm. It will be constructed at a cost of Rs55.4 billion.[10]
See also
References
- "Statistical Data for Web site Major Traffic Flow Airport & Airline wise - Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority". www.caapakistan.com.pk.
- AIP Pakistan: OPGD – Gwadar Archived 19 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- "Airport information for OPGD". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF. - Airport information for GWD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- Baloch, Behram. "Gwadar & Sultanate of Oman | Balochistan Inside". Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- "Chinese President Xi to Inaugurate Gwadar Airport". Yes Property Force. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- "Construction work on Gwadar airport to begin in April". www.thenews.com.pk. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- "New Gwadar International Airport, Pakistan". Airport Technology. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- https://www.caapakistan.com.pk/upload/News/pdf/29032019-1.pdf
- Rana, Shahbaz (12 October 2020). "Gwadar International Airport project okayed". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 15 October 2020.