Airplane hangar built in Heart of S.America by KOICA

The South Korean government's support for Paraguay, dubbed the "Heart of South America," to become an aviation maintenance hub is gaining momentum.

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) said Wednesday that it held a ceremony to inaugurate an aircraft hangar at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in the Luque region, northeast of the Paraguayan capital, Asunción, attended by Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez.

KOICA launched a project to strengthen the capacity of Paraguayan aviation professionals in 2019. The newly completed hangar has two floors and an area of 945 square meters and can accommodate three Cessna airplanes.

KOICA supported two Cessna airplanes last year.

KOICA plans to invest $12.1 million by 2025 to complete the construction of infrastructure to train aviation professionals, including an aviation training center.

"We appreciate the sincere support of the Korean government and hope that the friendly cooperation and exchanges between Paraguay and Korea will continue," said President Mario Abdo Benitez.

Write to Jin-Gyu Maeng at maeng@hankyung.com