Government are still striving to get Japanese Government’s support on the building of Hanthaarwaddy International Airport in Bago Region

The government is still expecting to build Hantharwaddy International Airport in Bago with support from the Japanese, said U Win Khant, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. 

“As Hantharwaddy is an essential airport, we’ve been trying hard to get construction started. We are seeking help from Japan to manage the construction of aircraft runways,” U Win Khant said during a press conference detailing the government’s performance in its third year in power, on May 13.

U Aung Ye Tun, assistant permanent secretary of the same ministry, said negotiations with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism are ongoing.

A tender for the construction of the US$1.5 billion airport was first launched in 2012. The project was awarded to a consortium comprising Japan’s JGC Corporation, Singapore-listed Yongnam Holdings and Singapore’s Changi Airports International. 

Last year, Yongnam announced that the framework agreement signed between the Department of Civil Aviation and the consortium in 2014 to design, construction and management of Hanthawaddy International Airport on the basis of a public-private partnership (PPP) had expired. The contract was not renewed.

An earlier tender awarded to a South Korean consortium collapsed.

The authorities say Hantharwaddy will help the existing Yangon International Airport handle excess capacity in the future. 

“Myanmar only has three international airports in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw and passengers are increasing. Although there were only 9.26 million travelers to Myanmar in 2016, the number increased to around 10 million in 2018,” U Win Khant said.

Meanwhile, tenders for the construction of Heho, Mawlamyine and Kawthaung airports have been called for under PPP arrangements. The terms of the contracts are now being negotiated, said U Win Khant 

  A tender has been called for the construction of Muse Airport and six companies have been selected. 

(The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/govt-still-keen-build-international-airport-bago.html )

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