FIJI Airports has defended the design of the new Labasa Airport terminal, saying its distinctive slanted structure is necessary to comply with international aviation safety requirements and restrictions on available land.
The explanation followed concerns raised by Labasa residents about the appearance and practicality of the building, which some have described as “funny” and a potential waste of space.
Opposition MP and Standing Committee member Ketan Lal raised the concerns on Tuesday after recently visiting Labasa, saying members of the public had questioned the design.
“I recently visited Labasa and there was some criticism on the way how the building looks. It’s quite funny to a few of my friends in Labasa,” Mr Lal said.
“It seems that we are trying to make the building look fancy, but the whole structure would be a waste of space and stuff. This is just criticism coming from the people. As a committee, we have the right to ask directly to you.”
Fiji Airports acting chief executive officer Amit Singh said the slanted structure was not simply an architectural choice, but a response to aviation safety requirements and the limited land available at the site.
“I understand it is a single-storey building,” Mr Singh said.
“The slanted structure that you see is in response to the obstacle limitation surface and the land currently available in Labasa.”
Mr Singh explained that the obstacle limitation surface, governed by international civil aviation rules and guidelines, restricts the height of buildings and other structures around airports to ensure aviation safety.
“The further you move away, the higher you can build. Therefore, the closer to the runway, the lower the building structure will be.”
He said the terminal’s design allowed the building to increase in height further away from the runway while meeting the restrictions imposed by the airport’s location and available land.
“That splay allows the design to grow. That is how constrained we are with the current land. That was the reason for the design. If we had more land, we would have built further away and allowed a different outcome for the roof desig
Mr Singh also revealed that the terminal’s original design did not include air-conditioning or a baggage carousel.
However, following public concerns about the absence of the two facilities, Fiji Airports redesigned the building to incorporate them.
“When we started designing the building and it was complete, there was an outcry on the need for the building to be air-conditioned and a baggage carousel. We have redesigned it and included those two in the outcome, which should be ready by the end of November.”
Mr Singh said the project was expected to provide Labasa travellers with improved facilities, including air-conditioning and an additional baggage carousel, while maintaining the terminal’s fully solar-powered operation.
“We hope the project will provide the people of Labasa with those facilities, including the additional baggage carousel and air-conditioning, while keeping the terminal fully solar-powered.”
