Nadzab airport to get K700m upgrade

By MALUM NALU
CIVIL Aviation Minister Alfred Manase says Nadzab will be the “best airport” when the K700 million redevelopment project is completed.
Providing an update on Saturday on the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica)-funded project, which begins next year and expected to be completed in 2022, Manase said: “Nadzab is going to be a K700 million job. We’re trying to have an aerobridge and all of that fitted in.
“So my people in Morobe, you’re going to have the best airport when I’m in charge. We’re going to do a very big project with an extended runway that will be an alternative to Jackson (Airport).
“It will be a massive improvement. We might move a bit further down towards the North Coast (Aviation) terminal.”
The design and all that is being done by Japan. “It’s a massive project – runway, modern complex and terminal with all facilities.
“We will also turn Nadzab into a little town called Airport City.
“It’s all going to happen next year.” Manase said the timing was “very good with major developments in Lae and Morobe including the multi-billion kina Wafi-Golpu mine”. He said the Nadzab Airport redevelopment was critical because most flyovers by international aircraft were over Port Moresby.
“With Nadzab as an alternative, it will make it easier for planes going to Australia or New Zealand to fly over Nadzab and go down,” he said.
Funding agreements between Japan and PNG were signed in 2015 for the project, which was planned to be developed as an alternative international airport to Jackson in Port Moresby. Jica and PNG Ambassador to Japan Gabriel Dusava in 2015 signed an agreement for a K578 million loan to PNG for the Nadzab upgrade.
The balance of K114 million will come from the PNG Government.
Meanwhile, rural airstrips are a priority of the Government, Manase said.
However, funding remained a problem and his department was looking at working with district development authorities where rural air strips were located.
“The funding (for rural airstrips) is small so we’re looking at partnering with DDAs,” Manase said.
“They pour in a little bit of money, we pour in a little bit of money, so that we can maintain airstrips.”red.”