Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Aug 7 (IANS): The US Congress has approved a fund of $30 million to help upgrade Kyrgyzstan's air traffic management system, the American embassy here said.

The new system would enhance the central Asian country's competitiveness and bring in additional revenues from commercial flights, Xinhua reported citing an embassy statement.

It said that Raytheon, a US weapon manufacturer, and a Kyrgyz state company would work together on the project and the Kyrgyz side would take full control of the new system after its completion.

The project included a new tower with state-of-the-art aero-navigation equipment at Bishkek's Manas International Airport, which would allow the airport to be more efficient as well as safer for commercial flights.

The Manas airport is also the site of the Transit Center at Manas - formerly known as Manas Air Base - a US Air Force base supporting the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.