HRG: Expansion of Igal International Airport officially laun
Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 2:16 pm
HARGEISA — Plans to expand the Egal international airport have been officially launched after President Ahmed Silanyo laid the foundation stone on Sunday for the $5.61 million project.
The airport is set to commission the upgrade project which the government says is part of a bigger plan to improve the facility to make it a regional flight hub. They added that the airport was first constructed by the British empire in 1958 and since has not had any major upgrade.
The president explained that the government of Kuwait, through Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, has pledged $10 million for Hargeisa’s Egal international airport and Berbera airport, a coastal town on the Red sea.
The project is expected to be completed within fifteen months by China Holo Group who won the tender bidding.
According to the airport the upgrades will include installing security fence, expand the airport’s terminal facilities, parking areas and safety areas and the installation of runway light to accommodate nighttime operations. They added the work should also bring the 2.4 meter runway up to par.
As well as modern control towers, the new airport will also get a facelift in luggage handling and security scans as well as surveillance.
The minister of Aviation Mohamud Hashi Abdi said that the airport will be closed during upgrades for large aircraft and that traffic will be diverted to Berbera airport. He said light and medium airliners including Dash 8 Series class of aircraft can continue to fly to Egal international airport. This means Ethiopian Airlines will not be affected, who recently announced their plans to operate daily flights to Hargeisa using its Q400 aircraft as of 10 June.
President Ahmed Silanyo lauded the Kuwaiti government and expressed his appreciation on behave of the people of Somaliland for their generous donation.
He said the upgrade will contribute to the Somaliland society socially and economically as well as enhance Hargeisa city as a key regional flight hub in the future.
The airport was named after Somaliland’s first Prime Minister and later President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal.
The Berbera terminal expansion worth $4.39 million was awarded to an Ethiopian company in March by the Somaliland Ministry of Airport and Civil Aviation.
The airport is set to commission the upgrade project which the government says is part of a bigger plan to improve the facility to make it a regional flight hub. They added that the airport was first constructed by the British empire in 1958 and since has not had any major upgrade.
The president explained that the government of Kuwait, through Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, has pledged $10 million for Hargeisa’s Egal international airport and Berbera airport, a coastal town on the Red sea.
The project is expected to be completed within fifteen months by China Holo Group who won the tender bidding.
According to the airport the upgrades will include installing security fence, expand the airport’s terminal facilities, parking areas and safety areas and the installation of runway light to accommodate nighttime operations. They added the work should also bring the 2.4 meter runway up to par.
As well as modern control towers, the new airport will also get a facelift in luggage handling and security scans as well as surveillance.
The minister of Aviation Mohamud Hashi Abdi said that the airport will be closed during upgrades for large aircraft and that traffic will be diverted to Berbera airport. He said light and medium airliners including Dash 8 Series class of aircraft can continue to fly to Egal international airport. This means Ethiopian Airlines will not be affected, who recently announced their plans to operate daily flights to Hargeisa using its Q400 aircraft as of 10 June.
President Ahmed Silanyo lauded the Kuwaiti government and expressed his appreciation on behave of the people of Somaliland for their generous donation.
He said the upgrade will contribute to the Somaliland society socially and economically as well as enhance Hargeisa city as a key regional flight hub in the future.
The airport was named after Somaliland’s first Prime Minister and later President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal.
The Berbera terminal expansion worth $4.39 million was awarded to an Ethiopian company in March by the Somaliland Ministry of Airport and Civil Aviation.
