Pakistan has delayed the opening of a new airport worth $246 million due to security concerns. The airport project in Gwadar, funded by China, has been put on hold with no new date set for its opening. The project, initiated after a grant agreement with Beijing in 2015, has been fully prepared for flight operations, according to a source in the government who preferred to remain anonymous in comments to Nikkei.
This is a setback for the country in its efforts to attract more Chinese investment to its struggling economy. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to attend the launch of the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA), located near a key port within the $50-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, the scheduled inauguration on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, was unexpectedly postponed because of security worries following extensive protests that disrupted activities in Gwadar.
The airport’s opening, which has been postponed once again following a previous delay last year, is due to worries that there may not be enough demand for flights to the area. This concern arises from the region’s history of deadly militant attacks and a separatist insurgency, leading to fears that the airport could become a costly project with little practical use. Situated approximately 45 kilometres away from the Chinese-managed Gwadar port, the airport, with a single runway, covers an area of 4,300 acres (1,740 hectares) and has the capacity to accommodate l.