PIA’s first International flight takes off from Gwadar Airport, an important step towards enhancing regional connectivity.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) marked a significant milestone by launching international flight operations from the New Gwadar International Airport, with its first flight departing for Muscat, Oman, on Friday.
The inaugural flight, PK-197, carried 39 passengers and was seen off by senior PIA officials. According to the airline’s spokesperson, PIA will operate a weekly service on the Gwadar-Muscat route.
The spokesperson stated that the inaugural flight reflects PIA’s commitment to expanding air operations nationwide, aligning with public needs and national aspirations.
The New Gwadar International Airport officially began operations earlier in the week with PIA’s domestic flight PK-503, symbolizing a new era in Pakistan’s aviation sector and enhancing regional connectivity.
Spanning 4,300 acres, the airport is Pakistan’s largest and boasts a 4F-grade classification, capable of handling the largest civil aircraft. Its runway, measuring 3,658 meters in length and 75 meters in width, demonstrates advanced engineering standards.
Constructed at a cost of approximately Rs50 billion, the airport was developed with financial and technical assistance from China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Chinese Embassy highlighted the airport as a “shining example of China-Pakistan friendship.”
CPEC, launched in 2013 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), connects Pakistan’s Gwadar Port in Balochistan to Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, playing a pivotal role in regional development and connectivity.
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