Airports-Laos, SL,Nepal, Georgia, Afghanistan , Muscat

ASEAN open skies motivate Laos

Jane's Airport Review

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

14-Feb-2019

Aviation infrastructure in Laos is being upgraded in line with the continued evolution of the liberalised single aviation market (SAM) in the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“By investing in infrastructure and [a regulatory] framework, we are drafting a seamless management plan towards ASEAN open skies,” deputy transport minister Santisouk Simmalavong remarked in January during the Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai.

Tourism is another major driver behind airport upgrades to improve regional connectivity. For example, Laos expects visitor traffic from China to rise sharply from about 640,000 in 2017 to 1.5 million by 2023....JAR

Big-spending Kuwait underlines dependence on international expertise

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

13-Feb-2019

The Kuwaiti government intends to invest USD20 billion on modernising and expanding aviation infrastructure over the next two decades.

The president of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Sheikh Salem Al-Humoud, said in January that Kuwait can only achieve its objectives with close support from international partners and service providers.

“Our regulator has opened opportunities to the private sector since 2006,” he said. “We depend on local and international companies for support with the right technology and equipment to upgrade our ...JAR

Nepal explores alternatives amid TIA problems

Jane's Airport Review

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

12-Feb-2019

Problems continue at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Nepal after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) cancelled a tender for expansion in December 2018.

TIA faces severe capacity constraints, partly because of its location near mountainous terrain 4 km from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. Passenger traffic increased by 12.51% to 3.1 million in the first nine months of 2018. TIA hosts 29 airlines serving 24 international destinations….JAR

Afghanistan hustles in pursuit of 2033 vision

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

08-Feb-2019

The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) is moving rapidly to build up its regulatory and technological capabilities for airspace management, despite the ongoing military conflict in the country.

A national economic development strategy for 2019–33 envisages an “important role” for aviation, said Mohammed Qasem Wafayezada, deputy minister for planning and policy in the Afghan government. Speaking in January during the Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai, he described a “self-sustaining [Afghan] aviation sector that is safe and fully complies with all ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization] practices”….JAR

Georgia gears regulations for growth

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

12-Feb-2019

The government of Georgia has laid down a regulatory framework to support aviation infrastructure expansion, as tourism to the former Soviet republic increases and new airlines establish services.

The three international airports in the country (main gateway Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi) handled 5 million passengers in 2018, representing an increase of 24% on the previous year.

Tbilisi (run by TAV Airports of Turkey) opened a new USD60 million passenger terminal in September 2017, boosting its annual capacity to 4 million passengers; the government has …JAR

Ranatunga outlines plans for Sri Lankan infrastructure

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

11-Feb-2019

The Sri Lankan government continues to plan new air transport infrastructure growth as the island marks 10 years since the end of its decades-long civil war.

Airline passenger traffic totalled 8.5 million in 2018 but is forecast to reach 21 million by 2035, said Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga. “Sri Lanka plans to cater for [expanded] domestic and international aviation and logistics operations,” he said in mid-January during the Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai. He added that “Sri Lanka will prove an attractive proposition for MRO [maintenance, repair, and overhaul]” as this market is expected to double by 2035….JAR

Muscat to install UAV detection and tracking system

Neelam Mathews, Delhi

29-Jan-2019

Oman Airports is procuring an AARTOS Drone Detection System from German company Aaronia for installation as an approved solution at Muscat International Airport.

Local partner R&N Khilji is supporting Aaronia on the EUR10 million (USD11.4 million) contract, which was awarded after AARTOS was successfully trialled at Muscat International.