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SOME major airports in the
country are operating illegally under new international rules because
they have not been certified.
The airports include Nadzab, Madang, Mt Hagen and Goroka, which will be
certified by the end of the year.
The certification covers wide areas relating to safety and security
including landing instruments, passenger and cargo screening machines,
terminal facilities, fire-fighting and emergency and security systems.
Works, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Don Polye said this
yesterday when giving Government directions to CAA to implement 23
projects or activities over the next 100 days.
“The airports in the country must be certified under new international
rules. If they are not certified, it is illegal to conduct flight
operations to those airports,” Mr Polye said.
He admitted that the uncertified airports were operating illegally and
it was a matter of urgency to certify immediately.
Mr Polye said he was glad most of the work had been done already.
“We must achieve this to ensure the operators conduct their business
with confidence. There is no air of confusion in there, so we have to
get most of the airports certified and Nadzab is included.”
He said the Government was driving the 100-day result-oriented projects
that must be achieved by the year’s end.
Mr Polye said the Government would like to see results in the specific
time-frame given.
“If that is not achieved, there must be some justifiable reason. If
there are no justifiable reasons, the Government would seriously push
for these objectives to be achieved.”
The 23 projects included the certification of Nadzab, Madang, Mt Hagen,
and Goroka airports by year end.
He said the first would be the review of Nadzab airport certification
after 12 months of initial certification and extended for a further 12
months.
He said the 23 activities would include scanner and terminal renovations
at Gurney and Tokua to accommodate the security systems; a new common
user terminal building for Mt Hagen airport; Wewak airport asphalt
overlay construction works to commence in November to enable Fokker 100
operations; and, Wapenamanda airport pavement rehabilitation works to
commence in November to enable unrestricted Dash 8 operations.
Other projects included;
*Tokua airport lease site development and
associated works to commence in December to allow for buildings on
airside to be demolished due to safety and security reasons and tenants
leasing new sites on the landside;
*Airport fencing work for Wewak, Kavieng,
Goroka and Tokua to secure airport in preparation for certification;
*Terminal building renovations at Nadzab
airport to upgrade mainly the arrival and departure lounges;
*Aircraft parking bay extensions at Jackson
airport’s domestic apron in response to demand for aircraft parking bay
slots;
*Construction of dual carriageway through
Jackson airport as a by-pass from the terminal buildings;
*Establishment of check baggage screening and
passenger screening systems for Jackson airport by December; and
*Tari airport pavement resheeting and sealing
project.
“These projects do not come under order of priority. In 100 days I want
to see all these achieved,” Mr Polye said.
 
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