Myanmar Lailenpi Airport, the second airport in Chin State, expected to open in 2021
Construction of Lailenpi Airport, the second airport in Chin State, is expected to open early next year and is already about 80 percent complete, said an official of the Chin State government.
Once complete, the Lailenpi Airport will have the capacity to accommodate small aircraft for up to 20 people, Chief Minister Salai Lian Luaiin said in May.
“Lailenpi is the second airport in Chin State. We constructed it with the help of international countries. The aim is for local and foreign visitors to travel between Chin State and Yangon for business, tourism or in case of emergencies,” he said.
The airport will shorten the time taken between Yangon and Chin significantly. It currently takes three days to travel between Lailenpi and Yangon.
The Lailenpi Airport is being constructed with US$2 million in foreign aid from Mission Aviation Fellowship MIF (International) based in the UK.
Lailenpi township is located in the southern part of Chin State, near Myanmar-India border area. When the airport is complete, it will also facilitate border trade, said U Hla Shwe, a Town Elder.
The first airport in Chin State, the Falam Surbung Airport in Falam township was completed on October 27.
Chin is the poorest and least developed state in Myanmar but the completion of the new airports will improve tourism, according to the Department of Civil Aviation.
Construction of the Falam Surbung airport began across 1289.5 acres of land in 2015-16 with a government budget exceeding K30 billion (US$27 million). – Translated
Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/chins-lailenpi-airport-expected-open-2021.html
