Groundbreaking ceremony held for Pakistan's China-aided new Gwadar airport

The ground-breaking ceremony for the Gwadar New International Airport project in Pakistan was held in Gwadar Port, southwestern Pakistan, on Mar 29.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Yao Jing, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, laid the foundation and delivered speeches.

Nearly 800 people attended the ceremony, including the Pakistani Foreign Minister, the Maritime Minister, the Minister of Planning and Development, other Pakistani government and military representatives, and representatives of the Chinese project management company and Chinese-funded enterprises.

Khan said in his speech that he was glad to come to Gwadar. He said that Gwadar will become the development engine of Pakistan in the future. He also praised the Chinese builders for their contribution to the construction of Gwadar Port, and was particularly grateful to the Chinese government for providing free assistance to the construction of the new Gwadar airport.

The project is designed and managed by China Airport Construction Group Corporation. According to the design plan, Gwadar New International Airport will be about 26 kilometers away from Gwadar city and will have a high-standard runway for large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, and a 14,000-square-meter modern terminal. After completion it will be a modern landmark in the region, significantly improving the infrastructure and external traffic conditions around Gwadar and laying a better foundation for the future development of the port and the city.

On the same day, Khan also inspected the second International Commodity Fair of Gwadar Port, which was held in the Gwadar Free Zone. He welcomed the representatives of enterprises from Pakistan and China, saying that this year's trade fair is bigger than last year’s, and expressing his wish that the Gwadar trade fair will continue to be better and better in the future.

From Mar 28 to 29, the second International Commodity Fair of Gwadar Port, hosted by China Overseas Port Holdings Limited, was held in the Gwadar Free Zone. The trade fair attracted 104 companies from Pakistan and China involved in a wide range of fields including agriculture, textiles, logistics and machinery.