DILI, 20 May 2025 (TATOLI) – The Government of Timor-Leste, on Tuesday, 20 May, 2025, celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the Development and Expansion of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, in Dili.
The Foundation Stone was laid by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, in the presence of government members, development partners, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
The Development and Expansion of the Airport, scheduled for finalization in 2028.
The event marks a significant milestone in the development of Timor-Leste’s infrastructure, a driving force for national development.
The development and expansion of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport will ensure modern air transport corridors can connect Dili with regional capitals and integrate Timor-Leste more effectively into regional and global systems.
It will enable Timor-Leste to strengthen its position within ASEAN and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Gusmao said that infrastructure development is a priority of the Ninth Constitutional Government, in accordance with the goals of the Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030.
He emphasized the development of infrastructure is vital for national development, for a dynamic and productive economy, for job creation, and for the consolidation of institutions across Timor-Leste: “Infrastructure enables physical connection which in turn enables access to services, to markets, to opportunities, and to the broader regional and global community.”
The Head of Government expressed his appreciation to Timor-Leste’s development partners for their support during the review process, which he said had made it possible to design an airport that aligns with the country’s needs and capacities.
Gusmão reaffirmed the IX Constitutional Government’s steadfast commitment to promoting the modernization of the country’s critical infrastructure to boost economic growth and improve the well-being of the Timorese people and the sustainable development of our country: “I reaffirm the Government’s commitment to ensuring transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness in all public investment management procedures and processes, particularly in the infrastructure sector.”
The development and expansion of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport will ensure the necessary conditions for the airport to handle around one million passengers a year, in accordance with the highest safety standards defined in the Program of the IX Constitutional Government.
On February 3, 2025, the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MTC-Tetun) and Japan Business Consortium, comprising Japan Airport Consultants Inc, Ehira Architects and Engineers Inc, Oriental Consultants Global Co, Ltd, and Nippon Koei CO, LTD, signed contract for the Detailed Engineering Design (DED) of the passenger terminals of the President Nicolau Lobato International Airport (AIPNL-Tetun).
With the expansion of the runway, to be carried out in three stages, the airport will be able to receive larger planes, significantly improving the existing infrastructure. The first stage involves extending the current runway from 1,850 meters to 2,100 meters. In the second stage, the runway will be extended by another 400 meters towards the sea, reaching a total length of 2,500 meters. Finally, in the third stage, the runway will be extended by another 500 meters in the opposite direction, for a total length of 3,000 meters.
TATOLI
