A mega airport, which has the capacity to carry a whopping 400,000 passengers every year, remains derelict in Pakistan with runways completely vacant and terminals empty
The airport appears to be a ghost town (Image: AP)
A brand new airport with the capacity to handle a whopping 400,000 passengers annually has reportedly been ‘abandoned’. Completed in October 2024, you’d expect Pakistan’s Gwadar Airport to be a non-stop hub bustling with passengers – but its runway is not in use.
It’s a mystery that has baffled travel enthusiasts and media outlets across the world and follows the release of three satellite images that show the utter stillness and emptiness of the airport. Funded by China at a staggering cost of $240 million (around £188 million), the 4,300-acre land site is part of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project – but many doubt the positive impact it will have on the city’s 90,000 people.
It is said to have created 2,000 ‘local jobs’ – but the validity of this claim has been met with speculation. In fact, Azeem Khalid, an expert on relations between the two countries, argued the airport isn’t actually for the benefit of Pakistan at all. “It’s for China, so they can have secure access for their citizens to Gwadar and Balochistan,” he told AP.
An expert says the aviation hub is purely for the benefit of China ( Image:
AP) It is widely reported that an aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines touched down at the airport to mark its inauguration – carrying high-ranking officials. However, since then, it appears no further scheduled flights have been confirmed. According to the Independent, the first light was ‘off limits to the media and public’ due to security concerns, and a ceremony honouring the opening was hosted online. It follows increasing militant violence and fears the airport’s location could be used as a ‘launchpad for an attack’.
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Gwadar is one of the many places in Pakistan the FCDO advises against travelling to ( Image:
AP) While mystery engulfs the airport, one thing is starkly clear: the people of Gwadar aren’t any better off. The coastal city isn’t connected to the national grid and has to rely on electricity from Iran. There isn’t enough clean water for residents, who say their home land is swiftly changing.
“Nobody used to ask where we are going, what we are doing, and what is your name,” said 76-year-old Gwadar native Khuda Bakhsh Hashim. “We used to enjoy all-night picnics in the mountains or rural areas. We are asked to prove our identity, who we are, and where we have come from. We are residents. Those who ask should identify themselves as to who they are.”
Residents say life in their home city has drastically changed in recent years ( Image:
AP) While Pakistan is attempting to rebrand itself as the latest tourist destination, The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has several warnings against visiting parts of the country – including Gwadar. The body advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as areas such as:
Bajaur Bannu Buner Chārsadda Dera Ismail Khan Khyber Kohat Kurram Lakki Marwat Lower Dir Mohmand Orakzai Peshawar, including the city of Peshawar Swat Tank North Waziristan Upper South Waziristan Lower South Waziristan the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas via Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin up to the junction with the N15 the N45 Highway, from the north of the Mardan ring road, to the edge of Chitral City, including Kalash valley “FCDO advises against all travel to Balochistan Province, except the southern coast of Balochistan,” it added. “FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the coast of Balochistan, namely the area south of (and including) the N10 motorway, and the section of the N25 from the N10/N25 intersection to the Balochistan-Sindh border, including the port city of Gwadar.”
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