Palestinian authority restores Gaza airport at great costs
Palestine, Economics, 1/2/2002

The Palestinian Authority began restoration and reconstruction of Gaza international airport that was seriously damaged as a result of Israeli warplanes' attacks that destroyed the runway and several facilities.

Machinery and workers have begun to attend to the great damages to the runway where Israeli bulldozers had left 20 holes, reported the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

Head of the Palestinian civil aviation, engineer Fayez Zeidan, said in press remarks that the reconstruction would take two months at a cost of about US$ 8.0 million.

Zeidan added this would be a two-phase process. The first stage would be paving the runway at an expected cost of 400,000 dollars. The second phase would include rebuilding the radar station and also the air shipping building, which is expected to cost around five million dollars.

Palestinian and Israeli security officials had agreed in a meeting in Gaza last week that the Palestinian Authority would start reconstruction of Gaza international airport after it had been the target of Israeli attacks on the 3rd and 13th last month.

Meanwhile, the civil aviation official expressed hopes the reconstruction would be completed quickly. He said he was anxious as some necessary materials have to be brought from the Israeli controlled areas.

Zeidan estimated that the Palestinian airways had accumulated losses of about 200 million dollars due to the closure of Gaza airport.

Israel had decreed in mid February 2001 the closure of the airport and banned both landing and takeoff of all planes.

The Palestinian airways owns three planes, two of which are small aircraft, while the third is a Boeing 747 donated by Saudi prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal.

Previous Stories:
  UN official warns of critical Palestinian economic conditions   (12/21/2001)
  EU extends a 30 million euros assistance to Palestinian authority   (12/14/2001)
  Saudi Arabia completes contribution to Arab funds for Palestinians   (12/10/2001)

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