Falam airport to provide services in 2021

Falam airport to provide services in 2021
Falam airport project (Photo-Department for Civil Aviation)
Falam airport project (Photo-Department for Civil Aviation)
Published 20 November 2018
Shun Le Win

About 40 per cent of construction for Falam (Surbung) airport project including an earth retaining wall has finished and will be functional starting in 2021, according to Department for Civil Aviation under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

“We will build a runway that is 6,000 feet in length and 100 feet in width as well as a safety area will be added to the southern portion of the airport. We have already built an earth retaining wall. It will be ready in 2021,” said Director Kyaw Soe from Aerodrome Standards and Safety Division under the department.

The airport is located in the middle of Chin State and towns such as Falam, Lonpi Mountain, Haka, Thantlang and Tiddim Reik Lake can reach all airports in states and regions via this airport. Once this airport is completed, it will become the aerial gateway of Chin State and will enable visitors to reach Chin State in on shorter travel time. The project was started in 2013 and construction began in 2015.

Locals solely depend on roads for the transportation in the state and some portions of the roads are damaged due to landslides in rainy season. The state government is implementing the airport project proposed by MP of Thantlang Constituency and as per majority request by locals.

The airport is situated on Surbung mountain range: 8.5 miles northwest of Falam and is at an altitude of 6,000 feet. above sea level. The airport runway is to be 6,000 feet in length and 100 feet in width and with a flexible pavement type runway. The overrun has 200 feet in length and 100 feet in width. The place where the aircrafts are to be parked is 250 feet in length and 250 feet in width. The permitted load of the runway is 50,000 pounds and aircrafts such as ATR 72 can land at the airport.