Gwadar International Airport

Not to be confused with New Gwadar International Airport.

Gwadar International Airport (IATA: GWD, ICAO: OPGD) (Balochi: گوادر میان اُستمانی بالی پٹ, Urdu: گوادر بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) is an international airport situated 14 km (9 miles) north of the city centre of Gwadar,^[2] in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It was replaced by the New Gwadar International Airport in 2024.

Gwadar International Airport گوادر بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا (Urdu) گوادر میان اُستمانی بالی پٹ (Balochi)
IATA: GWD ICAO: OPGD
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Pakistan
Operator	Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
Serves	Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan
Location	Gwadar Port-91200
Opened	1966 (58 years ago) (1966)
Hub for	Pakistan International Airlines
Elevation AMSL	28 ft / 8.40 m
Coordinates	25°13′56″N 062°19′38″E
Website	caapakistan.com.pk/timeline/gawadar/timeline-gawadar.aspx
Maps
Location in Gwadar
GWD/OPGW Location of airport in Gwadar Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan GWD/OPGW GWD/OPGW (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan GWD/OPGW GWD/OPGW (Asia) Show map of Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 2,000 6,500 Asphalt
Statistics (2017-18[1])
Passengers 33,948 Passenger change 16.9% Aircraft movements 828 15.9% Sources: AIP Pakistan[2] and DAFIF[3][4]

History

The history of the airport dates 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.^[when?] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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
  • The new Gwadar International Airport will have space for big planes like Airbus A380 & Boeing 747-8, plus smaller ones like ATR-72 & Boeing 737-900ER.^[6]
• Lounges
  • One domestic and one International lounge.
  • One CIP/VIP lounge for premium and executive passengers. (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

New Gwadar International Airport

Main article: New Gwadar International Airport

Gwadar Airport Underconstruction in 2022

The New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) was built to replace the airport and was opened on 14 October 2024 in a ceremony led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.^[7] Occupying 4,300 acres (17 km²) of land, it is located in Gurandani, 26 km north-east of the existing airport in Gwadar on the south-western Arabian Sea coast of Balochistan Province.^[8][9][10]

It has 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.^[10] 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.^[11]

See also

• List of airports in Pakistan
• Airlines of Pakistan
• Transport in Pakistan
• Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority

References

1. "Statistical Data for Web site Major Traffic Flow Airport & Airline wise - Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority". www.caapakistan.com.pk.
2. AIP Pakistan: OPGD – Gwadar Archived 19 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
3. "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.
4. Airport information for GWD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
5. Baloch, Behram. "Gwadar & Sultanate of Oman". Balochistan Inside. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
6. ul abedeen, zain. "New Gwadar International Airport: Opening Date and Latest Updates!". AL HAMDAN TRAVEL AND HOLIDAYS. alhamdan.holiday. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
7. "China's premier inaugurates a Beijing-funded airport at the start of a Pakistan trip". Associated Press. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
8. "Construction work on Gwadar airport to begin in April". www.thenews.com.pk. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
9. "New Gwadar International Airport, Pakistan". Airport Technology. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
10. "Prime Minister performed groundbreaking of New Gwadar International Airport" (PDF). Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2019.
11. Rana, Shahbaz (12 October 2020). "Gwadar International Airport project okayed". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 15 October 2020.

External links

• CAA Gwadar International Airport
• CAA Pakistan – official site
• Accident history for GWD at Aviation Safety Network
• Current weather for OPGD at NOAA/NWS