Multi-Million Kina

Airport For Lae

A new airport at Lae, capable of handling aircraft up to medium-sized jets, is expected to be operational by the end of 1976. Two new contracts, worth 4.7 million kina (dollars), were let recently to build the airport.

The new airport will be capable of unrestricted use by Fokker Friend ships, and weekly use by medium sized jets, such as the Air Pacific BAG 111. The existing airport, when phased out, will allow Lae to develop further.

Hyundai Construction Co Ltd, a Korean firm, won a contract, worth 2,956,114 kina for civil engineering works, including work on the existing runway, construction of a new taxi way, parking aprons, airfield ducts and drainage, access roads, perimeter road, car park, building area pave ments and ancillary works.

The second contract, for building work, was for 1,738,000 kina, and was awarded to Morobe Construc tions Pty Ltd. This work includes the terminal, fire station, control tower, lighting room and powerhouse, opera tions building, maintenance com plexes, transmitter and receiver build ing.

The project is being financed by the Australian Government as an aid project for PNG.