The Nadzab Airport Redevelopment project has been making progress with the recent completion of the 1600-metre runway. The project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), should be finished in April 2023.
According to Satoru Ijiri, the Oriental Consultants Global architect, a further 800-metres of the runway will be renovated before it’s completely operational by the year’s end. Mr Ijiri added that the airport aeronautical ground lights that allow planes to land at night would also be installed by the end of 2022.
He said the terminal is halfway to completion and will be able to accommodate international and local flights.
The Japanese Ambassador Nobuyuki Watanabe visited the site and noted the progress that had been made. He said that the airport’s refurbishment is a significant step toward expanding the airport’s functionality and will help develop Lae’s economy. Ambassador Watanabe also said the expansion would increase the number of international flights arriving and leaving the airport.
“I am very happy to see that progress, and I hope the airport will enhance the locals and to improve and upgrade the internationalisation of Lae and to develop the whole economy of Lae,” Ambassador Watanabe said.
“Due to the COVID situation, the construction has been suspended for ten months, but the construction was normalised at the end of last year and is proceeding very smoothly.”
Construction and redevelopment of the airport began on the 4th of February, 2020.
Image caption: The new Nadzab Airport building in construction phase, source Embassy of Japan in Papua New Guinea
