Project Name: Hambantota International Airport Development (HIA) Project -Sri Lanka
Host Country: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Project Duration: March 2010- March 2013
Project Specification:
In 2009, the Sri Lankan government relied on preferential loans from the Export-Import Bank of China to invite bids for the construction of Hambantota International Airport. The CHEC won the project, signed the EPC contract, and undertook the project's design, construction and procurement.
This project consists of the construction of a runway of 3500m in length and 75m in width, which will be able to accommodate Airbus A380 Aircraft. A Stub Taxiway of 370m in length and 60m in width, and an Apron with 73000 m2 (10 parking positions) will be constructed. A Passenger Terminal Building of 10,000 m2, a Cargo building of 5,000 m2 and an Air traffic control tower of 35m in height will be built. Ancillary works including Meteorological Building, Fire Station, Water Station, Waste Treatment Plants, Flight Control Tower, 2 nos. Sub-station, Sewage Treatment Plants, and a facilities supporting the operations of the airport, such as drainage system, sewage system, lighting system, electrical engineering, communication, and navigation system, roads, parking, etc. The contract amount is worth 209 million US dollars, which is the first overseas composite airport project independently contracted by the CHEC. During the construction, the Sri Lankan government attaches great importance to it. The construction commenced in March, 2010 and completed on schedule in March, 2013, achieving good economic and social benefits.
Characteristics and Significance of the Project:
Hambantota International Airport development project, located in Hambantota- a small city in the southeast of Sri Lanka, is the second International Airport in Sri Lanka. Before the construction of HIA, Colombo Bandaranaike Airport (BIA) was the only international airport in Sri Lanka. Once Colombo airport cannot be use due to weather and other reasons, all flights must divert to India, which is very unfavorable to the development of Sri Lanka's overall air transport and tourism industry. Also, HIA is an important part of the development plan of the Sri Lankan government to build Hambantota into a transportation hub in the Indian Ocean region. Therefore, the HIA development project has attracted the attention of all walks of life in Sri Lanka since its inception.
Hambantota, located in the southern province of Sri Lanka, is one of the less developed provinces in Sri Lanka, with a high unemployment rate and low living standard. However, the province has good development prospects because of it is rich land resources and lower labor prices. The Sri Lankan government has expressed its strong desire to improve the social and economic conditions of the southern province and will introduce preferential policies for the economic and social development of the southern province. Hambantota region, listed as one of the major economic development regions by the government under such background, had put forward the "Great Hambantota Development Plan". Some projects were launched and made certain in progress, i.e. some ports, international conference centers, highways, tourism facilities, energy, and other projects.
The completion of Hambantota International Airport has greatly relieved the pressure on people and logistics flow in BIA, also promoted the development of the economy and tourism in the southern provinces of Sri-Lanka. The project won the Luban Award of China Construction Engineering in 2014-2015.