QUETTA: South Air, a privately held airline company, added impetus to the cause of improving connectivity between Pakistan’s coasts by making its maiden flight journey from Karachi to Gwadar on Tuesday, landing successfully at the recently inaugurated New Gwadar International Airport – an event marking yet another step towards turning Gwadar into a commercial hub.
Flight Z8-905 of South Air took off from Karachi at midday and arrived in New Gwadar International Airport at 3:40pm after a trip that would take hours by road to turn into an exhausting experience for passengers. The Gwadar flight of South Air shows that air travel to and from Pakistan‘s economic hub to its strategically important coast is indeed feasible.
The Significance of the South Air Gwadar Flight within the Context of CPEC
The coming into operation of the South Air Gwadar flight could not be more timely since at present, the need for such developments as the connectivity breakthrough within the scope of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project is extremely high. The construction of the new international airport in Gwadar took place within the framework of CPEC, but without airliners, it will not provide any benefits.
The start of South Air’s trial operation is when the airport starts to unleash its latent power which cannot be done even by pouring all possible infrastructure investments into it. The connection provided by flights from Gwadar to major cities in Pakistan facilitates the flow of people, goods, and investments essential for the success of CPEC at Gwadar.
Reducing Travel Time in Makran Division
The South Air Gwadar flight helps solve what is possibly one of the most persistent logistical hurdles facing Gwadar – how long and difficult it is to get to Gwadar. The terrain in Makran division results in slow and cumbersome travel between Gwadar, Karachi, and Quetta which is not commercially viable.
The existence of regular flights between the two places will make a huge difference in the matter. People who have been avoiding Gwadar on account of difficulties with traveling to the place would suddenly become realistic visitors now that they have a way of reaching there easily.
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Seaport and International Airport Partnership
As per the spokesperson of South Air, there is great importance of enhancing connectivity of Gwadar Seaport and the Gwadar International Airport because their joint effort will change Gwadar from a simple port to an advanced commercial center having sea transport as well as air transport systems together.
This exact combination of sea and air logistics is precisely what made regional trading centers such as Dubai and Singapore thrive commercially. The South Air Gwadar flight is the first step towards establishing an integrated system of transport for Gwadar, one that addresses not only the cargo requirements of the port but also the wider population’s logistical needs.
Employment, Tourism, and Economic Development in the Pipeline
Should there be an actual route by South Air after the trial service, the metamorphosis of Gwadar from being merely a strategic location to becoming a commercially viable city will become much easier – and so too will Pakistan’s dream of transforming its southwest coast into something realizable.
