By Vasinatta Yama, EM TV – Mt Hagen
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill officiated the ground breaking ceremony of the Wapenamanda Airport extension project. It is a K43 Million counter funding project of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the National Government under the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program (CADIP).
The Wapenamanda airport extension project will not be big as projected due to funding constraints. However, the current runway will be extended and more coal tar will be pasted on the runway to have enough strength to carry weights from big planes. The airport’s tarmac will be extended for two or more planes to park.
A new terminal similar to the newly built Kagamuga Airport terminal will be built, and a new vegetable market will be built for spin-off activities. There will be space for small airline companies to be based in Wapenamanda airport to provide air services to people in the rural areas like Maramun.
“Because of limited space, it is difficult to park planes at the airport,” says Manase.
Manase said, “When we extend and open it, little planes can also stay here and do runs to Porgera, Kompiam, Paiyala, Ewa, and all these places”.
The airport extension project by National Airport Corporation in all the airports in the country is one of the National Government’s rehabilitation projects, to improve the rundown airport infrastructures and facilities to attract business opportunities.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill urged the people of Enga Province to put politics aside and look after such development as it will benefit them.
Last year, angry supporters of a politician who lost the 2017 National Election in the Southern Highlands Regional seat, burnt down an Air Nuigini owned Link PNG plane. The Prime Minister said such incident must not happen again to bring business opportunity.
“If we have enough money and resources, it will be able to change our country,” says O’Neill.
He said that “if we do not grow our economy, our country will not grow, and we will argue with ourselves. Our economy now has a chance to grow because of such projects”. After the completion, strawberries from Surinki Agro farm and other agricultural businesses will be transported directly and efficiently from Enga to supermarkets.
The National government is committed to upgrading and connecting missing links. Mendi and Tari airports extension projects were launched already, including the maintaining of the Okuk Highlands Highway.
