Flights to Wau expected to resume this month

(Additional reporting by Akim Mugisa)

People intending to travel to Western Bahr el-Ghazal State’s capital Wau, still have to be patient, as the airport undergoes a rehabilitation and a runway upgrade, a state minister says.

Zakaria Joseph Garang, the State Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Construction said on May 18, that the Airport is undergoing tarmacking of the runway.

We are waiting for the first half of the airport to get finished then flights can start to land. We are expecting that the company can hand it over to the state in June,” Garang says.

A Feeder Airline aircraft after crash-landing in Wau (March 2012/Akim Mugisa).Wau airport was closed down following the crash-landing of a Feeder Airline plane at the end of March. About 40 people aboard a commercial flight escaped with minor injuries.

However, the incident could not be linked to the state of the facility at the time.

The state minister says the reopening is only delayed by the construction of the upgraded runway, which commenced already in February and was due to be finalised by the end of May.

The company was supposed to put asphalt on the first 1.5km lane on May 11, but inadequacy in fuel delayed that,” Garang says.

The runway is expected to be 2.5km in total by date of completion, however once the first 1.5km is done, planes will be allowed to land, Garang explained.

He also says, he has received assurance from the airport director and officials of Eyat Construction Company, which is undertaking the airport rehabilitation, that all would be completed in June.

An inconvenient situation

In the meantime many rely on flights landing in Aweil, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, and flights to Rumbek and Kuajok in neighbouring Lakes and Warrap states before proceeding by road to Wau.

Among those affected by the closure of Wau airport is Ms. Veronica, a Project Coordinator with GIZ, a German non governmental organisation, implementing a number of projects in the area.

She says she has to take a three hours long drive on bumpy roads to Aweil where she spends a night before catching her flight whenever traveling to and from the head office in Juba.

Returnees upon arrival at Kaucjok airstrip in Warrap State (21.05.2012/Akim Mugisa).For Veronica, it increases travel expenses in terms of fuel for the organisation’s vehicle that drops or picks her at the airfield in Aweil.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) faces similar challenges while transporting returnees to Western Bahr el-Ghazal State.  

Chartered flights operated by 748 Air Services, carrying returnees, mostly women and children destined for Wau, had to land at Kaucjok airstrip in Warrap state.

With the fatigue and trauma of four months in transit from Khartoum, the returnees and their luggage had to be transported bibs on a gruelling two-hour-drive on road before reaching the town they left decades ago due to the civil war.

IOM’s Head of office in Wau, Muluken, says the repatriation of the returnees was going on well”, but their transportation from Kaucjok by road to Wau required extra resources, due to the closed airport.

Rains may worsen the situation
 
As rains fast become torrential, the state needs to enhance its transport system as the road network might get disrupted.

Zakaria Joseph Garang promised that the state would do all it can to ensure that the roads are upgraded and its network maintained.

I believe that even if there is delay in the repair work, there is work going on,” Garang says.

Some drivers who are plying the Tambura-Wau road say the road is fine but expressed skepticism of the road’s durability with heavy rains yet to come.

Travelling on this road is really nice during the dry season but it can become too dangerous during rainy seasons. A driver will really know he is doing a tough job,” Sentamu Muzamil, a lorry driver says.