newstodate.aero
Jun 27, 2012 (newstodate): Work is progressing on outlining the future of Lithuania's Siauliai Airport.
With a 3,500m CAT 1 runway, Siauliai Airport in northern Lithuania is a former Soviet military airport and now operates both military and commercial air traffic, mostly in the form of cargo operations.
-We are faced with two issues to be solved. One concerns a plan for allocation and division of land for military and civilian use, another is approval of a master plan for the airport's future development, says Alfredas Lankauskas, member of the working group, former mayor of Siauliai and associate professor at Siauliai University, Doctor of Technology.
-We expect the Siauliai City Council to approve a land plan for the airport at its meeting on June 28, 2012, which will solve the first issue.
-As for formulating a master plan, this work has been contracted to a Dutch consultant, and we expect this work to be completed by August or September 2012. After its approval it will provide the basis for the subsequent opening of tenders to call investors and developers to take part in the projects.
-Part of the plans for Siauliai Airport is developing a new logistics center and a free-trade zone, focusing on the airport's capabilities in the airfreight industry, thanks to its location and infrastructure.
-Lithuania's ministry of transportation seems to pay little attention to Siauliai Airport, focusing only on the country's three other airports at Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga. This leaves the Siauliai City council to take responsibility for developing the airport and capitalize on its assets, says Mr Lankauskas.
On the military side, NATO is using Siauliai Airport as its home base for the fighter detachments securing the Baltic airspace.
With a 3,500m CAT 1 runway, Siauliai Airport in northern Lithuania is a former Soviet military airport and now operates both military and commercial air traffic, mostly in the form of cargo operations.
-We are faced with two issues to be solved. One concerns a plan for allocation and division of land for military and civilian use, another is approval of a master plan for the airport's future development, says Alfredas Lankauskas, member of the working group, former mayor of Siauliai and associate professor at Siauliai University, Doctor of Technology.
-We expect the Siauliai City Council to approve a land plan for the airport at its meeting on June 28, 2012, which will solve the first issue.
-As for formulating a master plan, this work has been contracted to a Dutch consultant, and we expect this work to be completed by August or September 2012. After its approval it will provide the basis for the subsequent opening of tenders to call investors and developers to take part in the projects.
-Part of the plans for Siauliai Airport is developing a new logistics center and a free-trade zone, focusing on the airport's capabilities in the airfreight industry, thanks to its location and infrastructure.
-Lithuania's ministry of transportation seems to pay little attention to Siauliai Airport, focusing only on the country's three other airports at Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga. This leaves the Siauliai City council to take responsibility for developing the airport and capitalize on its assets, says Mr Lankauskas.
On the military side, NATO is using Siauliai Airport as its home base for the fighter detachments securing the Baltic airspace.