# New Gwadar International Airport

The New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is an airport in Gwadar, Pakistan. It is the largest airport in Pakistan by area, occupying 4,300 acres (17 km$^2$) of land, and the second greenfield airport of Pakistan after Islamabad International Airport. The NGIA is located in Gurandani, 26 kilometres (16 mi) north-east of the old airport in Gwadar on the south-western Arabian Sea coast of Balochistan Province. NGIA is expected to cost $246 million. It is mainly funded by China as a grant and was formally inaugurated on 14 October 2024 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Premier of China Li Qiang. The airport replaced the Gwadar International Airport in January 20, 2025. With a runway spanning 3,658 m (12,001 ft) in length and 45 m (148 ft) in width, NGIA is capable of accommodating the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) is responsible for overseeing its management and operation, and its ownership will be shared among a collaborative effort involving Pakistan, Oman, and China. This airport is designed to facilitate both domestic and international flights.

## History

The airport project was launched as a swiftly achievable, high-priority initiative within the CPEC programme in 2014. Former PM Imran Khan had laid the foundation of NGIA on 29 March 2019. This greenfield airport will include a modern terminal building alongside a cargo terminal, with refrigeration facilities for perishable items, with an initial handling capacity of 30,000 tonnes a year. NGIA will have the capacity to accommodate wide-body aircraft including Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 and narrow-body aircraft such as ATR-72 and Boeing 737-900ER.
On 1 August 2023, the National Assembly of Pakistan adopted a resolution to change the name of the New Gwadar International Airport to honor Feroz Khan Noon. The initiative was put forth by Aliya Kamran, Rana Qasim Noon, and Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani during the assembly session. Additionally, the assembly approved another resolution urging the government to rename the Gwadar International Airport in tribute to Feroz Khan Noon. This decision was rooted in recognising his instrumental role in securing Gwadar for Pakistan through an agreement with the Sultanate of Oman during his tenure as Prime Minister.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority awarded the design to build contract of the new airport to the China Communications Construction Company (CCC). The airport was opened on 14 October 2024 in a ceremony led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The opening was however initially planned for 14 August 2024, to coincide with the Pakistani Independence Day celebrations, but was delayed due to protests organized by the BYC.
The airport's first international flight took place on 10 January 2025, with a flight to Muscat, the capital of Oman. The initial plan for the flight was to happen on 1 January 2025, but was delayed because of BLA activity. The airport became fully operational on 20 January. In Late January 2025, the first Airbus aircraft, an Airbus A319, registered as A6-RRJ, operated by Rotana Jet and as a special flight by the UAE, landed at the airport’s runway 25.
In February 2025, the Associated Press reported that the airport has "no planes, no passengers", and that the rationale for constructing it when the existing airport only serves three flights per week remains "a bit of mystery".

## Runway

The airport has a single runway with 3,658 m (12,001 ft) in length and a width of 45 m (148 ft) that will have the capacity to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft. There will be a taxiway of 23 m (75 ft) in length alongside a 10.5 m (34 ft) paved shoulders for both sides.

## Construction

The New Gwadar International Airport was constructed at a cost of Rs55.4 billion, funded mainly (67%) as a grant by China with also participation from Pakistan and Oman.

## Airlines and destinations

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Pakistan International Airlines | Karachi, Muscat |