BEIJING: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal has said that the new Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is ready for opening and hopes that the airport will become an important air transport hub and gateway to connect different regions. henceforth.
The new Gwadar International Airport has been donated by the Chinese government to the people of Pakistan in general and the people of Gwadar in particular and will stand as a monument to Pakistan-China friendship,” he told APP during his official visit to China.
The minister hoped that the airport as another milestone and flagship of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would undergo training for Pakistani personnel in China, the airport would become an important air transport hub in the future and a gateway to connect various regions.
As skilled manpower is a key requirement for the operation of NGIA, 20 Pakistani airport officials have embarked on their “Multidisciplinary Training Courses” in China.
As part of the training program, China Airport Construction Group will impart technical and practical knowledge to Pakistani personnel to operate the airport independently. These are the first-of-its-kind human resources training courses aimed at improving the technical, administrative and managerial skills of NGIA staff, Chinese media reported.
NGIA consists of 32 components such as state-of-the-art runway, aprons, terminal along with civil, technical, electrical and communication infrastructure and related facilities.
Pakistani airport staff are receiving professional training from Chinese officials who have installed and activated the entire airport system.
According to the official, the Government of Pakistan did not bear any cost of the training as all expenses incurred were incurred under China Aid.
He said that most officials from the Civil Aviation Authority in operations, control, security, engineering and mechanical works join the courses in groups. Spread over an area of 4,300 acres, the first phase of NGIA will welcome a full load of domestic and international passengers. In the second phase, it will be equipped for cargo handling. Once completed, it will be the largest airport in Pakistan.
