Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) added another feather to its cap as it began international flight operations from the new Gwadar International Airport, where the Maiden flight started for the Omani capital of Muscat on Friday.

A PIA spokesperson said the inaugural flight, PK-197, was carrying 39 passengers.

They were seen off at the airport by the senior PIA officials. According to the spokesperson, the national flag carrier would operate a weekly flight on the EH Gwadar-Muscat route.

Keeping with its tradition, the national carrier started from the new Gwadar International Airport with its inaugural international flight for Muscat, “said the spokesperson in a press release.” PIA is working to enable air operations across the country in accordance with national ambitions and public demands. “

The new Gwadar International Airport formally began operations on Monday, welcoming its first commercial flight—PIA’s PK-503—symbolizing a new chapter in the country’s aviation history and a step forward towards making Pakistan a hub for regional connectivity.

Covering 4,300 hectares, the airport is Pakistan’s largest and represents a significant step towards regional development. It is a 4F class advanced facility that can handle the largest civilian aircraft. Its 3,658 meter long, 75 meter wide runway sets a benchmark in engineering standards.

The airport is constructed at a cost of approx. Rs50 billion in assistance from China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Chinese embassy in an X post called the airport a shining example of China-Pakistan friendship”.

CPEC, launched in 2013, is a flagship project of the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a corridor linking the Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province to Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.