By the end of November, the National Airports Corporation is set to finish its Tranche 3 projects under the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program. According to acting managing director and CEO Ephraim Wasem, these projects began in March 2017.
The projects began with 12 project sites that included Mount Hagen in Western Highlands, Momote in Manus, Madang, Wewak in East Sepik, Vanimo in West Sepik, Mendi in Southern Highlands, Kavieng in New Ireland, Wapenamanda in Enga, Kerema in Gulf, Tari in Hela, and Kiunga in Western.
He said that those airports are doing well expect for Gurney airport in Milne Bay Province, which was finished under the CADIP program, a K1.67 billion aviation investment undertaken by the Papua New Guinea government with support from the Asian Development Bank and implemented by the National Airports Corporation.
Wasem said the primary objective of the CADIP program is to revitalise and redevelop the aviation infrastructure of the nation and to make sure of the operational safety and security compliance to International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and regulations as administered by CASA PNG. This also includes creating a sustainable civil aviation network that supports the needs of the demands of PNG.
Started by the government and the ADB in 2009 with a price of K1.67 billion, the 12-year program is funded through the ADB Multi-Tranches Financing Facility loan of K1.4 billion and GoPNG’s counterpart funding of K221 million.
The CADIP has been delivered through Tranches 1 to 3 of a series of projects. Tranche 1 started in 2009 and was completed in 2015 while Tranche 2 was started in 2014 and is predicted to be finished in September 2021.
