A $240 million airport in Pakistan’s Gwadar city, funded by China, stands eerily empty. The New Gwadar International Airport, completed in October 2024 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has yet to open for business, with no scheduled operations in sight. This delay highlights the gap between ambitious infrastructure projects and the reality on the ground in a region already marked by economic struggles.
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The shiny, modern airport looks out of place against the backdrop of Balochistan province, which continues to face widespread poverty and security issues despite over a decade of Chinese investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC, intended to link China’s Xinjiang region to the Arabian Sea, has poured billions into Gwadar. But the city, home to around 90,000 people, still faces major challenges. It lacks access to Pakistan’s national power grid, relying on unreliable electricity imports from Iran and a few scattered solar panels. Clean water is also in short supply, and the airport’s planned capacity of handling 400,000 passengers a year—nearly five times the city’s population—has raised doubts about its practicality.
Local authorities claim that CPEC has created 2,000 jobs in Gwadar, but there’s no clear information on whether these jobs are going to local Baloch residents, who have long been marginalized in the province, or to outsiders. Meanwhile, Gwadar remains largely isolated from the rest of Pakistan due to security concerns and travel restrictions. The city’s existing domestic airport only offers a few flights a week to Karachi, and there are no direct connections to major cities like Islamabad. The coastal highway, while scenic, lacks basic facilities, further disconnecting the region.
The airport’s opening in late 2024 was marked by a virtual ceremony, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang attending remotely. This decision was made due to security concerns, as the nearby mountains could potentially be used for attacks. The inaugural flight departed quietly, without media access, reflecting the secrecy surrounding many CPEC projects.
For now, the New Gwadar International Airport stands as a symbol of the region’s paradox: grand, high-profile projects are underway, but the daily struggles of Gwadar’s residents continue largely unaddressed.
