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Manas International Airport improves flights safetyMar 06, 2009 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- TCA CORRESPONDENT BISHKEK, (ED)According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) of Kyrgyzstan, the first phase of the air navigation equipments modernization in Kyrgyzstans Manas international airport in Bishkek will soon be completed. As a result, the airport will be able to receive airplanes in more extreme weather conditions, classified as the second category of difficulty. Manas International Airport (MIA) is a national corporation, which was established in order to ensure the safety and regularity of flights and to interact with other airports. MIA opened in May 1975 with the first regular flight from Moscow to Frunze (present day Bishkek). Today, it is one of Central Asia's most advanced aviation centers. MIA JSC consists of 15 airports including airports in the Kyrgyz cities of Osh and Karakol. The company's aircraft fleet includes planes of all types, such as Russia's Il-76, Il-62, Il-18, Tu-154, Tu-134, Yak-40, An-24, An-26 and helicopters of all types, as well as A320, B737 and B747 aircraft. Every year, the airport serves over 600 thousand passengers and transports about 18.8 thousand tons of cargo. US $7.4 million will be allocated from the State budget for the modernization of the air navigation equipment of the Kyrgyzaeronavigatsiya National Enterprise. The Enterprise will use these funds for the further modernization of air navigation equipment in Manas, Osh, and Issyk-Kul airports. Kyrgyzaeronavigatsiya manages air traffic and the technical maintenance of ground facilities, including the radio engineering operations and telecommunications, of Kyrgyzstan. The modernization of air navigation equipment at Osh airport, located in the south of the country, has been completed. The instrumental landing system will improve flight safety during the landing at the airport in bad weather conditions. This will greatly reduce the delays and disturbances of flights due to weather conditions. Also, there are plans to modernize the terminal at Osh airport. Another measure, initiated by MTC, will also serve to improve flight safety; from 2010, aircraft operating in Kyrgyzstan will have to be less than 25 years old. From 2008, Kyrgyzstan had banned operation of aircraft older than 40 years. Having become a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Kyrgyzstan has adopted an ICAO strategy on aircrafts safety, and the introduction of ICAO standards in the development of air navigation systems. Air navigation systems aim to safely and effectively manage aircrafts which arrive and depart from the airport. Modern navigation equipment allows international airports to be part of a common network, which includes several countries and ensures the safety and effectiveness of the international aviation system. The state aircraft fleet is extending. US $13.3 million was allocated from the state budget for the purchase of a new airplane for the transportation of VIPs. Kyrgyzstan is also planning to purchase two ERG 145 airliners, produced by the Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, to supplement the civil aviation fleet. |