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US aviation authorities said Thursday they had sent a temporary control tower to Haiti to help deal with hundreds of flights bringing earthquake aid from around the world.
The tower is being transported on a chartered cargo aircraft and Federal Aviation Administration technicians hope to have it ready at Port-au-Prince airport within 48 hours, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.
"This tower is a visible representation of the department's contribution to our government's swift and considerable efforts to help Haiti deal with this terrible tragedy," said department secretary Ray LaHood.
The airport's existing control tower was rendered unusable by the devastating 7.0-magnitude quake on January 12, which killed at least 75,000 people and left half a million homeless.
The portable tower is 44 feet (13 meters) long, 13 feet high and eight feet wide, weighs about 25,000 pounds, and is powered by two diesel-powered generators, the statement said.
Controllers have so far been working at a folding table using military radios to handle around 160 flights per day, it said.
US personnel took over air traffic control at Port-au-Prince's airport a week ago but the move raised tensions with some countries. France earlier expressed annoyance after aid planes were delayed from landing.
