World Bank funds Vanuatu's aviation overhaul

Transcript

The World Bank says a 60 million US dollar loan to Vanuatu will be used for a much needed overhaul of its entire aviation industry.

This week the Vanuatu government signed a contract with New Zealand company Fulton Hogan to carry out repairs to the runway at Bauerfield Airport.

A number of airlines earlier suspended flights to the airport, citing concerns about the runway's safety.

The repairs will be funded out of a World Bank loan.

The Bank's Senior Operations Officer, Lasse Melgard, told Koro Vaka'uta about the World Bank's involvement.

LASSE MELGARD:  The World Bank is getting involved as part of a larger regional aviation programme which is upgrading airports across the Pacific.  Tuvalu and Kiribati and Samoa and Tonga and now Vanuatu.

KORO VAKA'UTA:  In terms of Vanuatu, what kind of work has the World Bank agreed, or is there  any conditions to this 60 million dollars?

LM:  Yes.  The World Bank and the government of Vanuatu have agreed on a series of activities that would upgrade, essentially, the international airports in Vanuatu.  That includes Bauerfield.  It includes Pekoa.  It includes Whitegrass international airports.  The bulk of the work is to rehabilitate the runway at Bauerfield, to look at building a new terminal but it also includes things like reforming the aviation sector, navigational aids, lights, assistance in developing an aviation sector strategy, an airports master plan.  So it's a quite comprehensive programme.     

KV:  I understand also that the World Bank had a technical team on the ground there recently, to look at the runway in particular and to speak to aviation officials.  What came out of that visit?

LM:  The team had two core objectives.  The first was to expedite in as quick manner as possible, the repairs of the runway so that the runway can again be used by the international airlines that had suspended operation.  The second part of the visit was to come agreement on the exact design standards to be used for the longer term rehabilitation of the airport.  The key thing here is that the agreement has now been signed with Fulton Hogan to conduct the emergency repairs of the airport but that is really a short term fix to keep the airport safe, until such time as the longer term rehabilitation work can commence.

KV:  When you say longer term rehabilitation, is that things like, I think you mentioned like lighting and upgrading those sorts of facilities?

LM:  That is part of it but it's also an actual overhaul of the entire runway.  The repairs that are being undertaken right now is emergency to fix cracking, to remove debris off the runway but a completely new runway will be put in place as part of the longer term rehabilitation work.

KV:  Is there any indication when that might happen?

LM:  We will be talking to the government in the weeks ahead about a timeline but we would be hopeful that that work should start within a six to eight month period.

KV:  That all comes under the 60 million dollar loan?

LM:  That's correct.

KV: In terms of other projects, is the World Bank also supporting some of the plans, that the new government has talked about anyway, to develop the northern airport on Santo?  Is that in any plans in the future?

LM:  We will be talking with the government in the weeks ahead about its priorities, its vision for the aviation sector and that will include, of course, what it intends to do with other airports in the country.