Airport Projects Tendered
By Khairunnisa Ibrahim, Jason Thomas

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) yesterday announced that beginning November this year it would be accepting bid proposals from foreign and local companies interested in projects to turn the Brunei International Airport into a regional air hub.

"By inviting potential bidders early, the government expects to receive many competitive bids," Pg Abd Rahman PSI Pg Ismail, director of DCA, said during a presentation 'at the Institute of Public Service yesterday.

The Airport National Development Plan Projects envision to upgrade the existing airport. Scheduled for completion by 2031, the projects are intended to turn the airport into a hub for the BIMP-EAGA region (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East Asean Growth Area).

Pg Abd Rahman said the presented was meant to notify parties interested in the projects under the National Development Plan, which outlines plans to develop and upgrade the national airport.

The project categories open to potential bidders are: consultancy services, communications; navigation, surveillance, air traffic management; and along with e-government.

Local companies are allowed to seek foreign partners and develop bid proposals that the Government will accept in the next' three months.

The first of the airport master plan's two 12-year phases will be implemented beginning in 2008, and the second in 2020.

Bid proposals for the airport master plan will be accepted beginning on November 22. Last day for submission is January 16, 2007. For other consultancy services such as for the runway-' and taxiway subsoil study, offers willl be accepted beginning on November 15 and last day of submission is December 26.

The opening date for bid proposals for the upgrading of communications navigation surveillance and air traffic management facilities December 6 and the last day on February 8, 2007.

The DCA director said he hoped that winning bidders would be able to develop the airport into a safe, secure, efficient and commercially successful regional air hub.

One of the projects under consultancy services is a master planning study that will be developed into a Brunei Inter national Airport Master Plan.

"We are looking for a consortium of consultants that will be able to prepare a master plan and come up with a conceptual design to transform the airport, especially the passenger and cargo terminals, in line with the development strategies of the Brunei International Airport," said Pg Abd Rahman.

The development strategies outlined were visions for creating an airline Hub, cargo village and airport city.

The principal objective of the study is to produce a workable program of priority improvements needed for the airport, and to prepare a master plan for the airport's phased developments.

The plan will outline two technically and financially feasible phases, which will be completed in 2031.

The consortium of consultants should have experience on similar international airport master planning studies, airport terminal building design, airport security, business and commercial activities. .

Upon implementation of the master plan, the DCA expects the passenger terminal to be an innovative and contemporary state-of-the-art facility, with effective functional layout incorporating world-class functional designs and technological developments.

"The eventual implementation of the master plan will change the airport landscape so as to support the vision to make the Brunei International Airport as the air hub for the BIMP-EAGA region, said the DCA director.

Aside from ensuring the comfort of passengers, the master plan should also assure that the facility that provides the right mix of retail and service shops for the enjoyable travel experience of passengers and visitors with its own uniqueness. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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