Pakistan’s new Gwadar International Airport, entirely financed by China, is a conundrum built at a steep cost of USD 240 million. With no passengers, no planes and a hush-hush inaugural ceremony, the airport invokes mystery over its construction. Located in the coastal city of Gwadar and completed in October 2024, the airport is a stark contrast to the impoverished, restive southwestern Balochistan province around it.