First civilian airfield in 30 yrs opens in Helmand

By Golnar Motevalli

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The first civilian plane for almost 30 years landed on Wednesday at a newly refurbished airfield in a remote corner of Afghanistan's restive southern Helmand province.

The United States spent $11.5 million reconditioning the Bost airfield, built in 1957, which officials hope will help regenerate a province, a third of which is estimated to be under Taliban control and whose economy is dependent on opium.

Helmand used to produce some of the region's best dried fruits, pomegranates and nuts. But farmers have switched to opium production, a crop that helps fund the Taliban insurgency.

The airport and a nearby agricultural and industrial park are part of a larger counter-narcotics strategy to get farmers to switch from growing opium by providing them facilities to process and fly-out food products to the domestic market.

"I live in Kabul in the U.S. embassy and I look forward to the day now that I won't have to spend five hours getting into helicopters to get to Helmand and I can catch a direct flight," United States Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry told journalists at the opening of Bost air field near Lashkar Gah.

"I'm hoping I can get a discount on the tickets," he quipped.

The first domestic passenger plane to land will be an Ariana Afghan flight on Monday, according to manager Hajji Omar.

"It is one of the most important projects in Helmand ... like good roads, good runways like this are crucial to growth of the province and investment here," Helmand governor Gulab Mangal told Reuters.