A $240 million airport financed by China in Pakistan’s southwestern port city of Gwadar sits eerily vacant, its runways untouched by aircraft and terminals devoid of travelers. The New Gwadar International Airport, completed in October 2024 as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, has yet to announce an operational timeline, underscoring the gap between infrastructure ambitions and on-the-ground realities in one of Asia’s most contentious economic projects.
The airport’s gleaming facade starkly contrasts with the surrounding Balochistan province, where poverty and security threats persist despite over a decade of Chinese investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Touted as a “game-changer” to link China’s Xinjiang region to the Arabian Sea, CPEC has funneled billions into Gwadar.
Yet the city of 90,000 still lacks access to Pakistan’s national power grid, relying on erratic electricity imports from Iran and scattered solar panels. Clean water remains scarce, and the airport’s capacity to handle 400,000 annual passengers—nearly five times Gwadar’s population—has drawn skepticism.
Authorities claim CPEC has created 2,000 jobs in Gwadar but have not clarified whether Baloch residents—long marginalized in their province—or outsiders filled those roles. Meanwhile, Gwadar remains largely cut off from the rest of Pakistan due to security risks and travel restrictions.
Its existing domestic airport operates just a handful of weekly flights to Karachi, with no direct routes to major cities like Islamabad. The coastal highway, though picturesque, lacks basic amenities, further isolating the region.
Security Fears Shadow Progress
The new airport’s inauguration in late 2024 was conducted virtually by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, avoiding a public ceremony over concerns that nearby mountains could be used to stage attacks. The inaugural flight departed without media access, reflecting the secrecy shrouding CPEC-linked projects.
For now, the silent airport looms as a metaphor for Balochistan’s paradox: grand projects rise while daily struggles endure.
