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Govt undertakes major project to upgrade ZIA

Tuesday, 4 November 2008


FHM Humaayn Kabir
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has taken a major project to upgrade the Zia International Airport as a major landing station of national and international aircraft in the South-Asian region, officials said Monday.
"Under the project, the CAA will procure two radars, develop the taxiways and buy some communication equipment to modernise and improve the airport," an official of the CAAB said.
About 200 domestic and international flights everyday land at and take off from the Zia International Airport (ZIA), the country's largest international airport.
Flights and cargoes of some 20 domestic and international airlines land at and take off from the ZIA.
"If the radar and communications equipment are installed at Zia it will be one of the competitive and upgraded airports in the Asian countries," Station Air Traffic Officer of ZIA Azad Zahirul Islam told the FE Monday.
"The radar, to be procured under the project, will be an upgraded version in the world. It will make the ZIA well-equipped," he said.
"The existing radar of ZIA has become old. On the other hand, international airports in different neighbouring countries are developing day by day. So, we need to raise our airport to a competitive level," a senior official of CAAB told the FE.
The CAAB bought the radar in 1984. It has now become old and less efficient.
"We will procure one primary radar and another secondary radar and some communications equipment, which will support the airport to communicate properly with flying aircraft, the official said.
The radar and the communication equipment will help the air traffic controller to locate the exact position of the flying aircraft and determine their timing and frequency for flying and landing or taking off from the airport, he added.
"As the traffic at ZIA had increased remarkably over the last few years, the development work will help facilitate better services to the national and foreign aircraft, passengers and cargoes," Mr. Zahirul Islam said.