According to Tom Nou, the Nadzab International Airport is close to completion and is expected to be finished by the end of April this year. Mr. Nou, who is the National Airports Corporation's (NAC) Nadzab Project director, stated that 98% of the project has been completed, and the remaining 2% involves handovers and takeovers. He made these comments during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NAC and the National Polytechnic Institute of Papua New Guinea, on behalf of the acting managing director and CEO, Joseph Tupiri.
The Nadzab International Airport project, which is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency with K578 million, is contracted to Dai Nippon - Nippo JV contractors and the PNG government with K114 million. The new airport terminal is bigger and more spacious than the Jackson’s airport in Port Moresby, and it has been designed to operate international flights.
Mr. Nou stated that proper procedures need to be followed with other international airlines before the airport can operate international flights. Once the PNG government has gone through these procedures with other airlines, they will give NAC permission to proceed with international flights. The terminal is of two storeys, with the top floor capable of being fitted with additional facilities like a coffee shop or kiosks. The building will have a management system in place to manage the power and air conditioning to reduce operating costs.
"It will be an open-door terminal where people are not restricted to go in so that they can buy stuff in the terminal," Mr. Nou added. He also mentioned that the terminal has been designed to accommodate all the requirements of Customs, quarantine, and immigration, and that they all have offices in the building.
