By: Osman A.M.
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The Government has unveiled almost twenty varied development projects at the city’s airport.
The projects were facilitated by the Civil Aviation & Air Transport Ministry whose Minister Mohamud Hashi Abdi oversaw the initiation of the projects in a function witnessed by his counterparts in-charge of Public Works & Housing docket Abdirizack Khalif together with State Minister of Presidency Mohamed Musa Abeer upon conducting an inspection tour at Egal international airport on Friday in Hargeisa.
In briefing the press upon witnessing the kick off of the new projects the Civil Aviation Minister revealed that the novice projects were part of the larger development scheme that were initiated in the last few months mainly consisting of two vital ETD screening machines with modified sensors that would be stationed at the entry & exit points of departure & arrival terminals to reinforce the existing two that are inside these terminals.
With these Hashi was optimistic that additional ETD & screeners would boost the security and safety of the facility that serves the point of first contact to visitors entering the country.
The Civil Aviation Minister noted the additional gadgets meant to screen luggage are of superior quality narrating an incident where these machines revealed dangerous & crude weapons that initially escaped being detected by the security apparatus at JKIA in Nairobi. He also hinted that they would help in taxation due to their detection of items in enclosed suits.
Hashi also informed of the face lift & extension carried on departure terminal that received an expanded accommodation capacity taking 750 passengers at a go up from 50 persons before the ascension to power of President Ahmed Silayo.
Glass doors were fitted at both the entry & exit points with comfortable chairs as passengers wait for hours for their flights, said the Minister.
Minister Hashi also highlighted the modifications carried at the VIP lounge which was fitted with safety & protective motional doors to its entry & exit points in additional to extending its capacity to receive increased VIP visitors at once in future.
Hashi also revealed that two more water reservoirs were put in place to cater for the facility’s consumption.
The Minister also itemized other modifications carried on the facility as increased chairs to accommodate those waiting for their people to arrive in additional to two more electric power generators supplied by a private power company to reinforce the electricity generated by wind mill that costs no penny to the Government.
Hashi briefed on the general upgrade undertaken at the facility which was at category 2 in the previous regime to the current category 7 with the ministry’s anticipation of taking it to category 10 in its joint vision in line with ICAO’s plan.
The Minister rebutted allegations that the Government was discriminative in its development plans stressing that since Hargeisa is the city, Egal airport would be prioritized but others would follow suit depending on the availability of funds.
