The President of Djibouti, Mr.Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, two days ago laid the foundation stones for two new airports aimed to boost the infrastructure and connectivity of the country, the www.eturbonews.com website reported.

The two new airports will be built at an estimated cost of about US$600 million, and when complete, entry and exit points into Djibouti over and above the present international airport will have been added.

Planned to open in 2018, the first airport, named Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport after Djibouti?s first president, is being built in Ali-Sabieh, 25 kilometers south of the capital. It will be capable of catering to 1.5 million passengers and 100,000 tons of air cargo per year.

The airport will accommodate all modern commercial aircraft including the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.

The second airport, Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport, named after the former prime minister, is located in the north of Djibouti and is designed to handle up to 770,000 passengers per year. It is expected to open its doors in 2016. The two new airports will create approximately 2,000 jobs during construction and operation.

Moussa Ahmed Hassan, Djibouti’s Minister for Equipment and Transport, said when commenting on the new projects: “The investment in transport infrastructure in Djibouti will act as a catalyst for economic growth and development. The airports form part of the major transport infrastructure investment program, enabling the country to build on its position as a key regional trade hub.”

The two new international airports will complement Djibouti’s existing U$5 billion multiple seaport investment plan. Djibouti will start work on brand-new liquefied natural gas and crude-oil terminals in 2015, which will add to four new ports already being built, quadrupling cargo handling to almost 80 million metric tons annually.

The direct rail link to Addis Ababa, a key link for Ethiopia to the sea, is also currently under construction and will be completed this year. The new railway line will be Ethiopia’s only lifeline for imports and exports until such time that the LAPSSET project is completed, which is due to link the new seaport of Lamu in Kenya with both South Sudan and Ethiopia by rail and road, then providing crucially important options and alternatives.

Djibouti is a key western ally in the fight against ocean terrorism which has spread from Somalia deep into the Indian Ocean as well as a forward base to contain the spread of militant groups from the Arabian peninsula into Africa.

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