Akobo opens remote airstrip in Ethiopia
Scandinavia-based Ethiopian gold exploration and mining company Akobo Minerals has announced details of the pioneer flight to land at a new airstrip which it has funded and built in Dima.
The Super King Air 350 twin-turboprop aircraft carried representatives from Akobo Minerals and the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority on the inaugural flight, which the company described as a seminal moment in the ongoing development of local business and community activities.
Developed over the course of 70 days, which included design, approval and construction, the 1 100-m-long airstrip lies a few kilometres from Akobo Minerals’ mining operation and can accommodate aircraft carrying up to 40 passengers.
Akobo says it will enable the company to bring in goods and personnel more effectively, allow for any medical evacuation and provide a secure transportation route for gold to Addis Ababa prior to onward distribution to international buyers once gold production begins in a few months.
Until now, the nearest airstrip has been located in Jima, at least a six-hour journey by road.
“The opening of our own airstrip is an important landmark for the company and is a clear indication of our capabilities when it comes to major engineering projects as we seek to build out our new mining operation.
“The airstrip is also a significant part of our ongoing environment, social and governance programme as it will also mean access for the local community to important services that the region has never seen before – from a reduction in travel times to access to deliveries of goods and emergency medical assistance,” comments CEO Jørgen Evjen.
Comments
The
functionality
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation