The opening of Bost Air Field in Helmand
The opening of Bost Air Field in Helmand, the only completely civilian airstrip in southern Afghanistan, was inaugurated by Ambassador Eikenberry, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Farooqi, British Ambassador Phillip Sedwill, and Governor Mangal on June 3rd. Ambassador Eikenberry noted in his remarks that this airfield was created in partnership between the U.S. and the Afghan Ministry of Transportation & Civil Aviation (MoTCA). The 2,000-meter paved runway with a 300-meter safety area will be the catalyst for re-establishing commercial air service in Helmand. Venco Imtiaz Construction Company, an Afghan firm, built the runway under the supervision of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Passenger air service between Lashkar Gah and Kabul is expected to begin in July 2009.
Please see more photos on U.S. Embassy Kabul's Facebook and Flickr pages.